Alfred Lutwyche

Justice Alfred James Peter Lutwyche, Queen's Counsel (26 February 1810 – 12 June 1880) was the first judge of the Supreme Court Bench of Queensland.

Early life Portrait of "Mrs (Mary) Lutwyche" by unknown painter, circa 1865–1880. In the collection of Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. Lutwyche was the eldest son of John Lutwyche, of a Worcestershire family, who removed to London and started as a leather merchant, under the firm of Lutwyche & George, in Skinner Street, Snow Hill. Lutwyche was educated at Charterhouse School and at the Queen's College, Oxford, where he matriculated in 1828 and graduated B.A. in 1832, and subsequently M.A. While still at university, he had decided to pursue a career in law and became a student at the Middle Temple in London. After working in the legal areas of conveyancing and special pleadings, Lutwyche was called to the bar in May 1840. As a barrister, he went on the Oxford circuit. While he built up his practice as a barrister, he also supplemented his income and acquired some journalistic experience as a colleague of Charles Dickens, on the Morning Chronicle.

New South Wales Having entered the New South Wales Legislative Council, he was Solicitor General in the first Cowper ministry from September to October 1856, and Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council. He was again Solicitor General in the second Cowper ministry from September 1857 to November 1858, when he succeeded James Martin as Attorney General. He was appointed a Queen's Counsel on 10 December 1858, shortly after his appointment as Attorney General.

Queensland In February 1859 Lutwyche was appointed Resident Judge of what was then the Moreton Bay district of New South Wales. Two years later, in August 1861, he became sole Judge of the new Supreme Court of Queensland, and occupied the bench unaided until the arrival of the first Chief Justice, Sir James Cockle, in February 1863. But for a certain lack of self-restraint in his judgements and utterances, Mr. Lutwyche would himself have been appointed the first Chief Justice of Queensland, and he keenly felt the disallowance of his claims.

Lutwyche was a wealthy settler who owned vast tracts of land in Wooloowin and surrounding areas; the Kedron Lodge, his magnificent heritage-listed residence, still stands to this day in the affluent district of Kalinga.

In 1865, Lutwyche donated a block of land near Kedron Brook for the establishment of a new Anglican church, St Andrew's. A Gothic-style wooden church was built and opened on 30 November 1866. Lutwyche was an active member of the church and requested to be buried in the churchyard. He later donated a further acre of land adjacent to the church for a rectory.

Death

Lutwyche died at his residence, Kedron Lodge, 123 Nelson Street, Wooloowin in Brisbane on 12 June 1880 following a severe attack of gout in the preceding fortnight. As he had requested, he had a simple funeral (which was nonetheless hugely attended) and was buried in the churchyard of St Andrew's Anglican Church on Lutwyche Road on 15 June 1880. The service was conducted by Archdeacon Glennie and Rev. Love. His wife Jane arranged for a Celtic cross to be erected as a memorial over his grave on the southern side of the church.

Legacy

The north Brisbane inner-city suburb of Lutwyche, the Lutwyche Cemetery in Kedron, Lutwyche Road and the Kedron State High School and Windsor State School sporting house are named in his honour.

Publications With his background in law and journalism, Lutwyche was a prolific writer. Of particular interest are the following works: