Edward St John
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Edward Henry St John QC |
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| Member of the Australian Parliament for Warringah |
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In office 26 November 1966 – 25 October 1969 |
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| Preceded by | John Cockle |
| Succeeded by | Michael MacKellar |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
15 August 1916 Boggabri, New South Wales |
| Died | 24 October 1994 (aged 78) Sydney |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
| Spouse(s) | Sylvette Cargher; Valerie Winslow |
| Children | Madeleine St John |
| Occupation | Barrister |
Edward Henry St John QC (pr: Sinj'n) (15 August 1916 – 24 October 1994) was a prominent Australian barrister, anti-nuclear activist and Liberal politician in the 1960s. His political career came to a controversial end after he criticised the Prime Minister John Gorton. His book A Time to Speak was an account of his eventful three years in politics from 1966 to 1969. Justice Michael Kirby described St John as a "contradictory, restless, reforming spirit".
Born in Boggabri, New South Wales, Edward St John was one of eight children of a Church of England canon and a descendant of many famous St Johns, including Ambrose St John, who converted to Roman Catholicism and became a close friend of Cardinal John Henry Newman, and Oliver St John, a statesman and judge who challenged the legality of Charles I's Ship Money tax. Oliver St John was twice married to relations of Oliver Cromwell. Edward St John was educated at state schools before attending the University of Sydney. His older brother was Anglican churchman Roland St John.
He became a barrister in 1940 and served in the 2nd AIF in Australia, the Middle East and the New Guinea campaign between 1940 and 1945 during World War II. Upon his return he was a law lecturer at the University of Sydney. In 1959 he was an official observer at the South African Treason Trial in Pretoria. He served in 1960 as a member of the Malta Constitutional Commission. In 1966, before entering parliament, he was an acting judge of the Supreme Court on NSW. He was also President of the Australian Section of the International Commission of Jurists. In November 1966 St John was elected to the House of Representatives as the Liberal member for the safe seat of Warringah.
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