Sir Samuel Way | |
|---|---|
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| Chief Justice of South Australia | |
| In office 18 March 1876 – 8 January 1916 | |
| Preceded by | Sir Richard Hanson |
| Succeeded by | Sir George Murray |
| Administrator of South Australia | |
| In office 17 July 1902 – 30 June 1903 | |
| Preceded by | Lord Tennyson (as Governor) |
| Succeeded by | Sir George Le Hunte (as Governor) |
| Attorney-General of South Australia | |
| In office 3 June 1875 – 18 March 1876 | |
| Premier | James Boucaut |
| Preceded by | Charles Mann |
| Succeeded by | Henry Gawler |
| Member of theSouth Australian Parliament forSturt | |
| In office 10 February 1875 – 20 March 1876 | |
| Preceded by | William Mair |
| Succeeded by | Thomas King |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1836-04-11)11 April 1836 Portsmouth, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 8 January 1916(1916-01-08) (aged 79) |
| Parent |
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Sir Samuel James Way, 1st Baronet, (11 April 1836 – 8 January 1916) was an English-Australian jurist who served asChief Justice of theSupreme Court of South Australia from 18 March 1876 until 8 January 1916.
Way was born inPortsmouth, England. ReverendJames Way, his father, was aclergyman in theBible Christian Church, who emigrated toAdelaide,South Australia in 1850 along with his wife and four younger children to establish amission. Samuel, the eldest child, remained behind, studying atShebbear College inShebbear, a small village inNorth Devon, and later at a school inChatham inKent. He left England to rejoin his family at the end of 1852, arriving inAdelaide in March 1853. He was soon employed in the office ofJohn Tuthill Bagot, at that time abarrister, and in 1856 became anarticled clerk to Alfred Atkinson (c. 1825 – 4 June 1861), solicitor ofKing William Street.[1]
On 25 March 1861, Way was admitted to theSouth Australian Bar to practice law, and when Atkinson died shortly afterwards, Way inherited his practice.[1] Way practised as abarrister and quickly became a leader among the legal community, and in 1868 joined a partnership with another barrister, James Brook.[2] In September 1871, Way was made aQueen's Counsel, despite having been admitted to the bar only ten years earlier. When Brook died in 1872, a youngJosiah Symon joined Way as partner. Way continued to be highly successful, travelling to London to argue a number of cases before theJudicial Committee of the Privy Council. In 1874, Way was elected as a member of the council of theUniversity of Adelaide, and was also appointed to the South Australian Board of Education.[1]
In 1875, Way was elected to theSouth Australian House of Assembly as the member forSturt, and on 3 June of that year joined theBoucaut government asAttorney-General of South Australia.[3] He was only a politician for a short time, however, since in March 1876, at the age of just thirty-nine, he was appointedChief Justice of South Australia following the death ofRichard Hanson on 4 March. Since it is the role of the Attorney-General to recommend judicial candidates to the cabinet, it has been suggested that Way probably nominated himself to be Chief Justice.[4] Way soon gained a reputation as an excellent lawyer, and it has been said that none of his decisions were ever successfully appealed to a higher court.[5] Later in 1876 he was appointed as thevice-chancellor of the University of Adelaide, and in 1883 became thechancellor, a position he would hold until his death.[6]
In 1877, Way was called upon to act as actingGovernor of South Australia. In January 1891 he was appointed to the position ofLieutenant-Governor of South Australia, a position subordinate to the state Governor. In January 1897, Way became the first Australian to be appointed to theJudicial Committee of the Privy Council and was sworn into the position in Westminster on 18 May 1897, and gaining the titleThe Right Honourable.[7]
In 1899 he was created aBaronet, ofMontefiore,North Adelaide, andKadlunga Mintaro, both in the Colony ofSouth Australia.[8]
In 1902, when Lord Tennyson vacated the role ofGovernor of South Australia to assume the role ofGovernor-General of Australia, Way was commissioned as Administrator of South Australia, and remained in that role until 1903.[9]
In October 1905, it was Way who publicly pronounced thatCatherine Helen Spence, writer and suffragist, social worker and feminist was the most distinguished woman in Australia.[10]
Way was a Freemason and Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of South Australia and Northern Territory from 1884 to 1916, apart from the period 1889–95 when the position was occupied by the Governor, theEarl of Kintore.[11]
Way married Mrs. Katherine Gollan Blue (née Gordon) on 11 April 1898.[12] She was the widow of Dr. William Archibald Sinclair Blue (died 18 September 1896) ofStrathalbyn.[13] The time and whereabouts of the wedding, which was the subject of great public interest, were a closely kept secret until well after the event.[14]
Way became ill in 1914, and was diagnosed withcancer. He travelled toSydney to have his armamputated, in an attempt to delay the cancer. The operation failed to prevent his health from deteriorating, but he continued his work as Chief Justice until December 1915. He died early the following year inNorth Adelaide.
The baronetcy became extinct on his death. The geological feature Mount Sir Samuel and the town ofSir Samuel in theGoldfields region ofWestern Australia were named after him.
A statue was unveiled on 17 November 1924, located onNorth Terrace, Adelaide, in front of theUniversity of Adelaide.[1]
The Sir Samuel Way Building onVictoria Square, Adelaide, was originally a major retail outlet forCharles Moore and Co. In 1983 it was sold to the state government and was named after him.
| South Australian House of Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member for Sturt 1875–1876 Served alongside:William Townsend | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Attorney-General of South Australia 1875–1876 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chief Justice of South Australia 1876–1916 | Succeeded by |
| Government offices | ||
| New title | Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia 1877–1916 | Succeeded by |
| Academic offices | ||
| Preceded by | Vice-Chancellor of the University of Adelaide 1876–1883 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chancellor of the University of Adelaide 1883–1916 | Succeeded by |
| Baronetage of the United Kingdom | ||
| New title | Baronet (ofMontefiore and KadlungaMintaro) 1899–1916 | Extinct |
