Interview with Sir Garfield Edward John Barwick, lawyer and politician, Commonwealth Attorney-General, 1958-1963, Federal Minister for External Affairs, 1961-64, Chief Justice, High Court of Australia, 1964-1981 / interviewer, J.D.B. Miller.

1977

25886

Barwick, Garfield Edward John, -- Sir, -- 1903-1997.

Australia. -- High Court -- History.

Judges -- Australia.

Lawyers -- Australia.

Australia -- Politics and government.

Barwick talks about his early life and family background, his education at Fort Street High School, headmaster Alexander Kilgour, Uni of Sydney then articled with Mr. Woodell, law studies with John Reden, work with Ray Booth, effects of the Depression, circumstances of taking silk, World War II, his appearances in High Court, cases he had including the ANA case, Melbourne Corporation Case, Bank Nationalisation case in Privy Council, Norman Cowper, Dr Evatt, censorship cases, his entry into politics, his family's interest in politics, reasons for entry into politics, work to win Parramatta electorate, acceptance of him by other politicians, experiences with Dept.of External Affairs,1st entry into Parliament, his first impressions, Arthur Fadden, atmosphere in Cabinet meetings, his colleagues, Sir Robert Menzies, Liberal-Country Party relations, Sir John McEwan. Barwick discusses his experiences as Attorney-General, his staff including Sir Kenneth Bailey & Ted Hook, Matrimonial Clauses Bill, Restrictive Trade Practices Bill, Telephone Interception Bill, Official Secrets Act, Dept.of External Affairs, his initial interest, Sir Robert Menzies' attitude, Malaysia, Rhodesian independence, South African issue in United Nations, attention given by Cabinet to foreign affairs issues, West Iran, Sir Arthur Tange, capacity of diplomatic corps in relation to Asia, opinion of Dept's officers in the field including Jim Plimsoll & Shane Paltridege, problems of running two portfolios; Laos, beginnings of Australia's involvements with Indo China.

Compact discs.

TRC 3317

Access open for research, personal copies and public use.

Recorded on Feb. 1-3, 1977.

Oral History Collection.

8 sound discs: digital + transcript (114 pages).