Butler Cole Aspinall

Butler Cole Aspinall (11 November 1830 – 4 April 1875) was a British-born journalist, barrister who migrated with his young wife to Melbourne, Australia, at first as an editor and writer for The Argus. He soon took up his lucrative legal practice as a defence advocate and later as a politician in the state of Victoria.

Aspinall was one of the chief counsel for the leaders of the Ballarat Riots, also known as Eureka Stockade, and later defended Henry James O'Farrell for the attempted assassination of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. He was briefly appointed as Attorney-General in 1861 and Solicitor-General in 1870. In 1854, he came to Melbourne as a law reporter for The Argus, and also contributed to the Morning Herald, Age, and Melbourne Punch.

Eureka Stockade trial In February 1855, Aspinall was one of the counsel for the leaders of the Eureka Rebellion. At the end of July 1861 he became Attorney-General in the Richard Heales ministry, but the cabinet resigned a few weeks later. before resigning on 9 April 1870 with the rest of the ministry.

Court practice The Dictionary of Australian Biography quotes one example of Aspinall's behaviour in court:

Personal life Aspinall died on 4 April 1875 in England. His wife died six days later. also became a barrister.