Richard Kirby

Sir Richard Clarence Kirby (22 September 190425 October 2001) was a long-serving president of the Australian Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission (1956-1973) (having first been appointed to the Commission in 1947). In 1973, because of ill health, he retired from this post.

He was also a member of the Australian War Crimes Commission.

His biography was written by Blanche d'Alpuget in 1977.

Early Life Richard Kirby was born on September 22, 1904, in Charters Towers, Queensland. He grew up in Sydney, where he attended the King's School in Parramatta before studying at the University of Sydney Law School. He became a solicitor in 1928 and was admitted to the New South Wales Bar in 1933. He had a general legal practice which was interrupted by the Second World War, during which he served in the Second Australian Imperial Force from 1942 to 1944. Honours Richard Kirby was knighted in the New Year's Honours of 1961. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the Australian Day Honours of 1985.

The bi-annual Sir Richard Kirby Lecture is now held in his honour. It was often assumed he was the father of former High Court judge Michael Kirby (who has delivered the Sir Richard Kirby Lecture), but they were not related.