George Rich

The Right Honourable Sir George Rich KCMG QC
Justice of the High Court of Australia
In office 5 April 1913 – 5 May 1950
Nominated by	Andrew Fisher
Preceded by	Albert Piddington
Succeeded by	Sir Frank Kitto
Personal details
Born	3 May 1863 Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia
Died	14 May 1956 Sydney, New South Wales

Sir George Edward Rich KCMG QC (3 May 1863 – 14 May 1956) was an Australian judge and justice of the High Court of Australia.

Rich was born in the town of Braidwood, New South Wales, in 1863. He was educated at Sydney Grammar School, and later studied at the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1883 and a Master of Arts in 1885. In 1887, Rich was admitted to the New South Wales Bar. Around this time he married Betha Bowker, with whom he would have two sons and a daughter.

Rich remained involved with the University of Sydney, founding the student magazine Hermes, the first publication by the University of Sydney Union, in 1886. He also started the boat club at the university, and in 1889 was among those who established The Women's College at the university. In his legal work, Rich was principally an equity specialist. From 1890 to 1910, Rich lectured in equity part-time at the University of Sydney's law school. He was also the co-author of the first New South Wales-specific textbook on equity practice. With Reginald Kerr Manning he established and edited The Bankruptcy and Company Law Cases of New South Wales. He was made a King's Counsel in 1911, and in the same year was appointed as an acting judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. He was made a full judge in 1912.

In 1913, Rich was appointed to the newly created seventh seat on the bench of the High Court of Australia, taking up his seat on 5 April of that year. He was appointed following the resignation of Albert Piddington, who never took up his seat on the High Court but quit amidst a controversy over his appointment. There has been some suggestion that Rich was a "safe" choice, because of his uncontroversial and uncombative nature, but Rich's legal ability was rarely questioned.

...
Wikipedia