Sir Stanley Charles Burbury,KCMG, KCVO, KBE (3 December 1909 – 24 April 1995) was an Australian judge. He served asChief Justice of Tasmania from 1956 to 1973 and asGovernor of Tasmania from 1973 to 1982, the state's first Australian-born governor.

Burbury was born on 3 December 1909 inPerth,Western Australia. He was the only child of Mary Agatha (née Cunningham) and Daniel Charles Burbury. His father, born in Tasmania, was employed as a metallurgist at thePerth Mint.^[1]

Burbury's mother died two months after his birth and he was returned to Tasmania to be raised by his aunt Ada Mary Lakin inHobart. He contractedpoliomyelitis at a young age, leaving him with a lifelong limp. He completed his secondary education atThe Hutchins School in Hobart, where he was a prize-winning student. He went on to study law at theUniversity of Tasmania, graduatingBachelor of Laws in 1932.^[1]

Burbury was admitted to practise law in 1933 and joined the firm of Simmons, Wolfhagen, Simmons, and Walch. He was admitted to partnership in 1937, before establishing his own firm Burbury and Dixon in 1944. He was appointedKing's Counsel in 1950 and the following year led aroyal commission into Tasmania's apple and pear industry.^[1]

In 1952, Burbury was appointedsolicitor-general by the state government. He was a vice-warden of the University of Tasmania'ssenate from 1948 to 1955 and was involved in the controversial dismissal of philosophy professorSydney Sparkes Orr on morality grounds.^[1]

In 1956, PremierRobert Cosgrove nominated Burbury to succeedJohn Morris asChief Justice of Tasmania.^[1] One of his first notable cases wasHursey v Waterside Workers' Federation (1958), where he ruled in favour of two wharf labourers who had failed to pay a compulsory levy to theWaterside Workers' Federation. His decision was overruled on appeal to theHigh Court the following year.^[2]

In 1967 Burbury was appointed by the federal government to lead a second royal commission into theMelbourne–Voyager collision. Outside of the court he also served as president of theNational Heart Foundation of Australia from 1967 to 1973.^[1]

Burbury was appointed as Tasmania's first Australian-born governor in 1973.^[3] While in office as chief justice, he had previously spent several periods asadministrator of the government during gaps between appointments. In that role he grantedEric Reece an early dissolution and called the1959 Tasmanian state election.^[1]

In 1978, Burbury's initial five-year term was extended by three years.^[4] During theFranklin Dam controversy, which sawHarry Holgate's ALP government forced into minority after the defection of former premierDoug Lowe to the crossbench, he was petitioned by a majority of theTasmanian House of Assembly for an early recall of parliament. He rejected the petition after consultation with Holgate on the grounds that the situation could "only be resolved by constitutional procedures on the floor of the House".^[5]

In 1934, Burbury married Pearl Barren; the couple had no children. They retired toKingston after his term as governor ended. He died on 24 April 1995 atCalvary Hospital, Hobart, aged 85.^[1]

Burbury was created aKnight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the1958 New Year Honours.^[6]

On 20 April 1977, during the 1977 Royal Visit,Queen Elizabeth II made Burbury aKnight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (KCVO).^[7]

On 28 August 1981 Burbury was made aKnight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG).^[8]

The impoundment that was created byHydro Tasmania on theKing River on theWest Coast of Tasmania, is calledLake Burbury.

TheUniversity of Tasmania has a lecture theatre named after Stanley Burbury.

Burbury Close, a street inBarton in the Australian Capital Territory is named after Stanley Burbury.^[9]

• 1909 births
• 1995 deaths
• Governors of Tasmania
• Chief justices of Tasmania
• Australian Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire
• Australian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George
• Australian Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
• Judges of the Supreme Court of Tasmania
• 20th-century Australian judges
• Australian King's Counsel
• Australian barristers
• University of Tasmania alumni

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• Use dmy dates from April 2021