Zelman Cowen
Encyclopedia
Sir Zelman Cowen, was the 19th Governor-General of Australia
. He is currently the oldest living former Governor-General of Australia.
in 1919. He was educated at St Kilda Park state school, Scotch College
, then the University of Melbourne
, and served in the Royal Australian Navy
during World War II
. He then went as a Rhodes Scholar to New College, Oxford
, where he completed the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law
and jointly won the Vinerian Scholarship
. From 1947 to 1950 he was a fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and was also a consultant on legal matters to the British Military Government in Germany
.
, the University of Illinois and the University of Washington
. He also advised the British Colonial Office on constitutional matters, and advised the governments of Ghana
and Hong Kong
on legal issues. Among many other works, he published a biography of Sir Isaac Isaacs
, the first Australian born and first Jewish Governor-General of Australia
.
Cowen was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England
in Armidale, New South Wales
, in 1966, and in 1970 he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland
in Brisbane
. By this time he was regarded as one of the leading constitutional lawyers in the English-speaking world. He was Emeritus Professor of Law at Melbourne and the Tagore
Professor of Law at the University of Calcutta
. During his time in Queensland he handled disturbances at the University resulting from protests against the Vietnam War
with diplomatic skill.
ended with his early resignation in 1977, Prime Minister
Malcolm Fraser
offered Cowen the post. He was in some ways a perfect choice. He was a distinguished Australian with an international reputation, his professional qualifications were beyond dispute, and since he had never been in politics his political views were unknown. The fact that he was Jewish gave his appointment a multicultural aspect in keeping with contemporary Australian sentiment.
Cowen served four and a half years as Governor-General, and succeeded in restoring the dignity and respect of the office after the tumult of the Kerr years. Fraser was Prime Minister throughout his term, and there were no significant constitutional issues to deal with.
(three of them as chairman) during a turbulent period for the company, and being patron of St Kilda Football Club. During the lead-up to the 1999 Australian republic referendum
, he supported a moderate republican position. His son, Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen, is Director of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization in Melbourne.
In 1981, the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) established the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture which is widely recognised as Australia’s leading award for public buildings.
Melbourne Law School awards the Zelman Cowan National Scholarship to incoming JD
students. Awarded purely on the basis of academic merit, it is the law school's most prestigious scholarship.
in 1976. When appointed Governor-General he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
(GCMG) and Knight of the Order of Australia
(AK) in 1977, and sworn of the Privy Council
in 1977. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia in 1980 she appointed Cowen a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
(GCVO).
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
. He is currently the oldest living former Governor-General of Australia.
Early life
Cowen was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
in 1919. He was educated at St Kilda Park state school, Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, then the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, and served in the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He then went as a Rhodes Scholar to New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where he completed the degree of Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law
Bachelor of Civil Law is the name of various degrees in law conferred by English-language universities. Historically, it originated as a postgraduate degree in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, but many universities now offer the BCL as an undergraduate degree...
and jointly won the Vinerian Scholarship
Vinerian Scholarship
The Vinerian Scholarship is a scholarship given to the University of Oxford student that "gives the best performance in the examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Civil Law." Currently, £2,400 is given to the winner of the scholarship, with an additional £950 awarded to a proxime accessit...
. From 1947 to 1950 he was a fellow of Oriel College, Oxford, and was also a consultant on legal matters to the British Military Government in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Educational career
In 1951 Cowen returned to Australia and became Dean of the Law Faculty at the University of Melbourne, a post he held until 1966. During these years he was frequently a Visiting Professor at American universities, including the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, the University of Illinois and the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. He also advised the British Colonial Office on constitutional matters, and advised the governments of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
on legal issues. Among many other works, he published a biography of Sir Isaac Isaacs
Isaac Isaacs
Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB GCMG KC was an Australian judge and politician, was the third Chief Justice of Australia, ninth Governor-General of Australia and the first born in Australia to occupy that post. He is the only person ever to have held both positions of Chief Justice of Australia and...
, the first Australian born and first Jewish Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
.
Cowen was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of New England
University of New England (Australia)
The University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....
in Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
, in 1966, and in 1970 he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
. By this time he was regarded as one of the leading constitutional lawyers in the English-speaking world. He was Emeritus Professor of Law at Melbourne and the Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore
Rabindranath Tagore , sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali polymath who reshaped his region's literature and music. Author of Gitanjali and its "profoundly sensitive, fresh and beautiful verse", he became the first non-European Nobel laureate by earning the 1913 Prize in Literature...
Professor of Law at the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
. During his time in Queensland he handled disturbances at the University resulting from protests against the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
with diplomatic skill.
Governor-General
When Sir John Kerr's turbulent period of office as Governor-GeneralGovernor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
ended with his early resignation in 1977, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Malcolm Fraser
Malcolm Fraser
John Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
offered Cowen the post. He was in some ways a perfect choice. He was a distinguished Australian with an international reputation, his professional qualifications were beyond dispute, and since he had never been in politics his political views were unknown. The fact that he was Jewish gave his appointment a multicultural aspect in keeping with contemporary Australian sentiment.
Cowen served four and a half years as Governor-General, and succeeded in restoring the dignity and respect of the office after the tumult of the Kerr years. Fraser was Prime Minister throughout his term, and there were no significant constitutional issues to deal with.
Post vice-regal career
From 1982 to 1990 Cowen was Provost of Oriel College, Oxford. After his retirement he returned to Australia and became active in Jewish community affairs in Melbourne, where he continues to reside. He has also pursued a range of other interests, including serving for five years on the board of Fairfax newspapersFairfax Media
Fairfax Media Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The group's operations include newspapers, magazines, radios and digital media operating in Australia and New Zealand. Fairfax Media was founded by the Fairfax family as John Fairfax and Sons, later to become John...
(three of them as chairman) during a turbulent period for the company, and being patron of St Kilda Football Club. During the lead-up to the 1999 Australian republic referendum
Australian republic referendum, 1999
The Australian republic referendum held on 6 November 1999 was a two-question referendum to amend the Constitution of Australia. The first question asked whether Australia should become a republic with a President appointed by Parliament following a bi-partisan appointment model which had...
, he supported a moderate republican position. His son, Rabbi Dr Shimon Cowen, is Director of the Institute for Judaism and Civilization in Melbourne.
In 1981, the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) established the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Architecture which is widely recognised as Australia’s leading award for public buildings.
Melbourne Law School awards the Zelman Cowan National Scholarship to incoming JD
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
students. Awarded purely on the basis of academic merit, it is the law school's most prestigious scholarship.
Honours
Cowen's first honour was a Knight BachelorKnight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in 1976. When appointed Governor-General he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(GCMG) and Knight of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AK) in 1977, and sworn of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1977. When Queen Elizabeth II visited Australia in 1980 she appointed Cowen a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
(GCVO).
Further reading
- A Public Life - The Memoirs of Zelman Cowen 2006 The Miegunyah Press (An imprint of Melbourne University Ltd.) ISBN 0-522-85270-X.
- Donald MarkwellDonald MarkwellFor the Montgomery, Alabama, talk radio personality, Don Markwell, see Don Markwell Professor Donald John 'Don' Markwell is an Australian social scientist and college president...
, "Sir Zelman Cowen", in A large and liberal education': higher education for the 21st century, Australian Scholarly Publishing & Trinity College, University of Melbourne, 2007.