Charles Waterstreet

Charles Christian Waterstreet (born 17 July 1950) is an Australian barrister, author, and theatre and film producer. He has written two memoirs and produced two films, and he is now a columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald. He is best known as one of the co-creators of the ABC Television series Rake which is loosely based on his life.

Born in Albury, New South Wales to publican parents, Waterstreet was educated at Waverley College and the University of Sydney where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, History and Political Science in 1971, and a Bachelor of Laws in 1974. During his time at university, he resided at St John's College and later at St Andrew's College.

Waterstreet began his career teaching Public Law at the University of New South Wales from 1974 to 1978. In 1974, he was admitted to the Bar and practiced part-time, defending people charged with protest and homosexuality offences. He practiced as a barrister, mainly in criminal law, at Forbes Chambers in Sydney until July 2016.

Waterstreet has appeared in many criminal and civil cases in all courts in New South Wales and in the High Court of Australia. His first major trial came in 1978 when he left academia to appear as junior counsel to Edward St John QC and Marcus Einfeld in R v Barton. He successfully defended Thomas and Alexander Barton, two company directors charged with a series of alleged offences in which Barton company shareholders lost millions of dollars. He then appeared as counsel in the infamous Greek social security fraud case, and a number of murder and other serious criminal trials.

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