Robin Millhouse | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th Chief Justice of Nauru | |
| In office 3 April 2006 (2006-04-03) – December 2010 (2010-12) | |
| Preceded by | Barry Connell |
| Succeeded by | Geoffrey Eames |
| Chief Justice of Kiribati | |
| In office 8 December 1999 (1999-12-08) – January 2011 (2011-01) | |
| Preceded by | Richard Lussick |
| Succeeded by | John Muria |
| Justice of theSupreme Court of South Australia | |
| In office 7 July 1982 (1982-07-07) – 8 December 1999 (1999-12-08) | |
| Deputy Leader of the Liberal and Country League | |
| In office 2 June 1970 – 19 March 1973 | |
| Leader | Steele Hall Bruce Eastick |
| Preceded by | Sir Glen Pearson |
| Succeeded by | John Coumbe |
| 39th Attorney-General of South Australia | |
| In office 17 April 1968 (1968-04-17) – 1 June 1970 (1970-06-01) | |
| Preceded by | Don Dunstan |
| Succeeded by | Len King |
| Member forMitcham | |
| In office 7 May 1955 (1955-05-07) – 7 April 1982 (1982-04-07) | |
| Preceded by | Henry Dunks |
| Succeeded by | Heather Southcott |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robin Rhodes Millhouse (1929-12-09)9 December 1929 |
| Died | 28 April 2017(2017-04-28) (aged 87) Sydney, Australia |
| Political party | LCL (1955-1973) Liberal Movement (1973-1976) New LM (1976-1977) Australian Democrats (1977-1982) |
| Spouse | (Margaret) Ann Radford - Chief Guide of Australia |
| Children | Three daughters and two sons |
| Parent(s) | Vivian Rhodes Millhouse, Grace Lilly Ayliffe |
| Occupation | Barrister, politician, judge |
| Known for | First elected member for theAustralian Democrats |
Robin Rhodes Millhouse,QC (9 December 1929 – 28 April 2017) was, at various times, the 39thAttorney-General of South Australia, the firstAustralian Democrats parliamentarian, and theChief Justice of bothKiribati andNauru and a judge of the High Court of Tuvalu.[1][2]
Millhouse was born inAdelaide, to lawyer Vivian Rhodes Millhouse (1902–1963), and Grace Lily (often Lilly) Millhouse, née Ayliffe (1900–1990). Millhouse gained an LLB from theUniversity of Adelaide in 1951 after attendingSt Peter's College, Adelaide.[3][4]
While practising as abarrister, Millhouse entered theSouth Australian House of Assembly on 7 May 1955 as theLiberal and Country League (LCL) member forMitcham, a safe LCL seat in southeastern Adelaide.[1] Millhouse rapidly gained a reputation as both the intellectual driving force behind the LCL and an outspoken spokesperson for the urban middle class faction of the LCL, a group under-represented within the party hierarchy.
Millhouse ran for the LCL leadership pre-selection after the leader SirThomas Playford's retirement but lost toSteele Hall, another member of the LCL's progressive faction. Instead, following the LCL's return to power at the1968 election, Millhouse was given the portfolios of Attorney-General,[1]Aboriginal Affairs, Social Welfare, and Labour and Industry. In these roles, Millhouse gained a reputation as a crusader for progressive social change as he sought to position South Australia as a national leader on social issues. During 1969 Millhouse was the architect and the major proponent forabortion on health grounds in South Australia, a decision that he would come to regret decades later, when he claimed that it had become "abortion on demand".[5] In the wake of the LCL's1970 election loss, Millhouse was elected Deputy Leader of the Opposition on 2 June.
After the LCL also lost the1973 state election, Millhouse resigned from the party on 18 March 1973 to form theLiberal Movement, along with former premierSteele Hall and a number of other senior LCL members, following growing dissatisfaction at the continuing conservatism of the LCL.[6] He led the Liberal Movement at the1975 state election, where the party received 18% of the vote, though only winning four seats.
In 1976, all Liberal Movement parliamentary members except for Millhouse returned to what by then had become theSouth Australia branch of theLiberal Party. Millhouse chose instead to form a new political party, theNew LM,[1] before it merged with theAustralia Party, theCentre-Line Party and other like minded groups to form theAustralian Democrats. As a sitting member, he became the first Australian Democrats Member of Parliament in 1977.[1]
As a Democrat, Millhouse retained his seat of Mitcham at the1977 and1979 state elections. He continued to campaign for progressive social issues, including the introduction of a bill to legaliseprostitution in South Australia.[7]
Millhouse was made aQueen's Counsel in 1979.[1] He resigned from parliament on 7 July 1982, sparking aby-election,[8] upon accepting a position as aSouth Australian Supreme Court justice. He served on the Supreme Court until his retirement due to age in December 1999.[1]
At his retirement sitting, he announced his appointment as Chief Justice of the High Court ofKiribati,[1] a position he held until January 2011. He was Chief Justice ofNauru from 3 April 2006[9] to late 2010.
Following his retirement as Chief Justice of Kiribati, he served as a judge ofHigh Court of Tuvalu from February 2014[10] and March 2015.
He married Ann (died 1992) in 1957 and had three daughters and two sons.[1] Millhouse died on 28 April 2017, aged 87.
SirEric Millhouse (1891 – 24 February 1950), lawyer and champion of returned soldiers,[11] was an uncle.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Attorney-General of South Australia 1968–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Parliament of South Australia | ||
| Preceded by | Member forMitcham 1955–1982 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| People | |
