sir john kerr, wife

In 1946 he became principal of the Australian School of Pacific Administration and the first Secretary-General of the South Pacific Commission. Kerr's children are: Gabrielle Kibble, a town planner and later NSW State Director of Planning;[33][34] Kristin Johnson, a psychiatrist;[35] and Philip Kerr, a solicitor. In 1941 she married Hugh Walker Robson QC, a barrister, who was appointed to the bench in 1970. [22] Kerr claimed Whitlam then sought to telephone Buckingham Palace to advise Kerr's dismissal, but Whitlam has always denied this. Lady Elizabeth Georgiana Kerr (1807-1871), married Charles Trefusis, 19th Baron Clinton. The news that Whitlam had been dismissed spread across Australia during the afternoon, resulting in angry protest demonstrations by his supporters. [11]) In Whitlam's book The Truth of the Matter he claimed that Fraser also asked the UK Prime Minister, Jim Callaghan, to grant Kerr a peerage, specifically a viscountcy, but that Callaghan refused. He disliked what he saw as the Labor Party's leftward trend under Evatt's leadership, but was not attracted to the breakaway group, the Democratic Labor Party. The propriety, legality and wisdom of his actions surrounding the dismissal have been subject to considerable debate and analysis. In July he was commissioned as an acting lieutenant and posted to … They later rented cottages in Rozelle and Dulwich Hill, buying the latter outright only in 1949. Boyce was released from prison on parole on 16 September 2002 after serving a little over 25 years, accounting for his time spent outside from the escape. Kerr served terms as president of the New South Wales Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia. Whitlam had offered to extend his term, but Hasluck declined, citing his wife's refusal to remain at Yarralumla longer than the originally agreed five years. Lady Harriet Louise Anne (1808-1884), married Sir John Stuart Hepburn Forbes, 8th Baronet. Kerr later put forward five propositions to justify his actions:[citation needed], Kerr later stated that Whitlam represented "something that perhaps I might have been, had I stayed in the party as he did",[24] and it has been suggested that the Dismissal was "as much a case of a thwarted ego seeking his place in history as Whitlam's mismanagement of the economy". He made it clear in several conversations with ministers that he did not accept the view that the Governor-General could play no role in the crisis until supply actually ran out: he saw it as his duty to help prevent things from getting to that stage. Kerr had another meeting with Fraser (with Whitlam's approval) on 6 November. This allowed Lang to seek Game's dismissal if he dared, which he did not.[21]. Labor supporters continued to voice criticism and demonstrate against Kerr. On 6 November Whitlam informed Kerr that, if the Opposition continued to deny a vote on Supply in the Senate, he would call an early half-Senate election the following Tuesday—11 November 1975. [1] Kerr's parents and maternal grandparents were Australian-born, while his paternal grandparents came from Sunderland, England, arriving in Sydney in 1886. "[9]:p.428, According to historian Phillip Knightley, "The remaining years of Sir John Kerr's life were miserable ones. Sir John Robert Kerr AK, GCMG, GCVO, QC (24 September 1914 – 24 March 1991) was an Australian barrister and judge who served as the 18th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1974 to 1977. In the 1960s Kerr became one of Sydney's leading industrial lawyers. Major Hon. Whitlam said later that he intended these remarks to protect Kerr, by making clear his view that the Governor-General had no power to intervene. She was an honours graduate from the University of Sydney. "The release of the Palace Letters reveals John Kerr and his wife, Anne, as nothing more than a couple of social climbers." Sir Paul Hasluck was due to retire as Governor-General in July 1974, and the prime minister, Gough Whitlam, needed to find a suitable replacement. He was called to the New South Wales bar in 1938. Kerr's first wife Alison was a fellow student of Margaret Whitlam during University days. On paper, the Australian Constitution gave the Governor-General wide-ranging powers, including the power to appoint and dismiss ministers and to dissolve Parliament. The disputed bills that had led to the double dissolution were reintroduced, and, as expected, were again rejected. He felt it necessary not to disclose this intention to Whitlam and his ministers because of his fear that Whitlam would advise the Queen to exercise her constitutional power to terminate Kerr's commission as Governor-General. In his memoirs Kerr denied making such a phone call to Fraser, but Fraser was adamant in all subsequent accounts that he did. [12] Kerr was announced as Governor-General-designate on 27 February 1974,[13][14] by which time he had become Sir John Kerr. The Government had an obligation to obtain supply through Parliament. Whitlam for his part assumed with characteristic confidence that Kerr would act predictably in the conventional manner of previous vice-regal appointees, was in full sympathy with the Government's position, and would do nothing to act against him.[19]:p.284. When Whitlam had left, Kerr summoned Fraser[9]:p.364 and asked him the same questions which Fraser claims to have answered that morning. He topped the school in English, history, and chemistry in his final year. [12], He was appointed a Privy Counsellor in 1977 on the instigation of Malcolm Fraser. He was educated at Fort Street Boys' High School. The conditions for a joint sitting of the parliament had now been met. Fraser was also aware of these considerations. In view of the impending federal election scheduled for 2 December 1972 and the knowledge that the Labor Party's longstanding policy was not to support Imperial honours, Governor-General Sir Paul Hasluck chose not to forward such recommendations to the Queen, pending the result of the election. On 1 April 1942 Kerr began full-time duty in the Citizen Military Forces, at the Base Supply Depot, Parkes. During 1963 she taught French at North Sydney Boys High School in Sydney. One of his closest friends was Ken Gee, who eventually joined him on the judiciary but was also known for his flirtation with Trotskyism. [8] [10] A memorandum by Sir Paul Hasluck, which recorded a conversation with the Queen's Private Secretary, Sir Martin Charteris, alleged the Palace's disillusionment with the couple, and belief that "the Kerrs, and especially Lady Kerr, were ‘very greedy’ ". For the rest of his term as Governor-General, Kerr was rarely able to appear in public without encountering angry demonstrations. It was reported that "strings had been pulled" to ensure her quick divorce from Robson and an avoidance of publicity. Kerr was appointed Chief Justice of New South Wales in 1972. On 16 October, the Liberal frontbencher, Robert Ellicott (a former Commonwealth Solicitor-General) published with Fraser's approval a legal opinion which he had prepared for the Shadow Cabinet, arguing that the Governor-General had both the right and the duty to dismiss the government if it could not obtain supply. If the Government could not obtain supply, it had either to resign or call an election. Kerr and others disagreed fundamentally with this view, arguing the Constitution very clearly set out the Governor-General's powers. Various shots of Scots Kirk 77 ft 7. [2] He was sacked three months later, but soon found work at the Cockatoo Island Dockyard, which were at full capacity due to the ongoing war. She was also fluent in German. With the full support of caucus Whitlam announced that if the Opposition continued to block Supply in the Senate, he would call an early half-Senate election in December. In addition to the powers normally exercised only on the advice of the Prime Minister, there are certain uncodified reserve powers, exercisable on the Governor-General's own initiative. [40] When the category of Knight was added to the Order on 24 May 1976, he was made Principal Knight of the Order (AK). Two days later, his successor, Sir John Kerr, was sworn in. The Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, offered Sir John the post. On 4 November that year, at St James’s Church, King Street, Sydney, he married Alison Worstead, a clerk. [9]:p.135 After the Labor Party split of 1955, however, he became disillusioned with party politics. On 9 September his wife Peggy died after a long illness, aged 59. Game had warned Lang in advance that if he, Lang, did not withdraw certain regulations, then he, Game, would dismiss him. Fraser denounced Kerr's detractors as "a hostile and bitter minority" whose actions were unjustified. In the Parliament he stated, "The appointment of John Kerr as Ambassador ... is not just an indecent exercise of the rankest cynicism. We are very sad to announce that Admiral Sir John Beverly Kerr GCB DL (Qual N 1964) passed away on 2 Dec aged 82. 25 ft 5. Sir Thomas, 9th Baron and son of Sir John… [20]:p.237–238 Fraser urged Kerr to bring about an election before the end of 1975. Near the end of his term, he famously appeared drunk when he presented the 1977 Melbourne Cup. Kerr also arranged for Fraser to come "a quarter of an hour later. House of Representatives Hansard, 11 November 1975, This page was last edited on 14 February 2021, at 19:58. [9]:p.424 Bill Hayden, the new leader of the Labor Party, now in opposition, was one of the critics of the UNESCO appointment. [12], Jenny Hocking Gough Whitlam: His Time (MUP. Sir John's first wife, Lady Alison (Peggy) Kerr, had died earlier that year after a long illness, and it was known that he was looking for company. Votes still out", "Sir John Kerr dies alone at 76: the storm goes on", "High rise and heritage, a town planner's dilemma, Sydney Morning Herald, 9 February 1988, "Planning chief attacks draconian harbour laws", Sydney Morning Herald, 19 October 1989, "Former Judges of the Northern Territory", The Kerr Palace Letters at the National Archives of Australia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Kerr_(governor-general)&oldid=1006785386, Australian Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George, Australian Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, Judges of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Australian members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, People educated at Fort Street High School, Judges of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory, Judges of the Commonwealth Industrial Court, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2014, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2009, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. This page was last edited on 30 November 2020, at 01:28. Anne Kerr, Lady Kerr (née Taggart, previously Robson; 1914 – 16 September 1997) was the second wife of Sir John Kerr, Governor-General of Australia (1974–1977). MV Sir John and his new wife emerge onto verandah of Admiralty House. Secret 'Palace letters' could illuminate Whitlam Dismissal if finally released Paul Kelly, "Lest we forget - the Best of Enemies", Spouse of the governor-general of Australia, Death of Her Excellency Lady Kerr, Wife of the Governor-General: Address of Condolence, p. 1014, http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2005/s1499058.htm, "Gough Whitlam dead: The ride of a lifetime", http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/queen-and-palace-wanted-john-kerr-gone-as-governorgeneral/news-story/d044ca8e97792f0f60828245a847f02d, National Library of Australia: Hugh Robson interviewed by John Farquharson in the Law in Australian Society oral history project, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anne_Kerr,_Lady_Kerr&oldid=991434284, Australian officials of the United Nations, Use Australian English from November 2016, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Brilliant mind and charming manner, Norman Abjorensen, Canberra Times, 20 September 1997. Kerr was born in Balmain, Sydney, New South Wales, on 24 September 1914. After the end of World War II, she acted as an interpreter for the Department of External Affairs for visiting French delegations. He again excelled academically, winning a number of prizes, but had little interest in extra-curricular activities. At this meeting Fraser increased the pressure on Kerr, advising him that the Opposition would not back down and would not accept any compromise, warning him that, if he did not take action against Whitlam, then the Opposition would begin to make direct public criticism of him for having "failed in his duty". His legal career was interrupted by the Second World War, during which he served with the Australian Army's Directorate of Research and Civil Affairs (DORCA) and attained the rank of colonel. They were married in 1975 during his term of office, six months after the death of his first wife Alison. Sir John Kerr will go into the history books as the man who brought an end to the Whitlam Government in November 1975. [15] The new parliament was opened by Sir Paul Hasluck on 9 July, and Kerr was sworn in as Governor-General on 11 July. Kerr's father knew Evatt through his membership of the Labor Party (which Evatt would eventually lead), and had helped him on his successful campaign for the state seat of Balmain in 1925. [17] With the full support of caucus Whitlam announced that if the Opposition continued to block Supply in the Senate, he would call an early half-Senate election in December. Anne Dorothy Taggart was born in 1914. A ‘peel tower’ is built by Sir Thomas Kerr. [9]:p.142 He intended to seek Labor endorsement for a parliamentary seat at the 1951 election, but withdrew in favour of another candidate. Since the Prime Minister could at any time advise the Queen to terminate the Governor-General's commission, the Governor-General had a right to dismiss the Government without advance warning of his intention to do so. [29], Concern about his health may have been one reason why he cut short his five-year term and stood down in December 1977. They had a son and a daughter. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived Premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, during which time the state underwent considerable economic development. On 11 November 1975, Kerr used his reserve powers as governor-general to dismiss Whitlam and his ministry, appointing Fraser to lead a caretaker government. 2012) page 154. He was Judge of the New South Wales District Court and Chairman of the Court of Quarter Sessions. He was subject to relentless harassment whenever he appeared in public. On one occasion she interpreted for Jawaharlal Nehru at a United Nations human rights seminar in New Delhi. He was the eldest of three children born to Laura May (née Cardwell) and Harry Kerr; his younger brother Dudley was born in 1917 and younger sister Elaine in 1926. Sir John Kerr sacked the … Lady Anne Katherine (1812-1829), died unmarried. Thomas Kerr's first wife was: Janet Kirkcaldy They had eleven children. Legislative Council of New South Wales, 17 September 1974, Jenny Hocking The Dismissal Dossier: Everything You Were Never Meant to Know About November 1975 updated edition (MUP. Sir John Kerr 1500 - 1562 The oldest son of Dand Kerr and Janet Hume, John Kerr lived through the reigns of the ill fated James IV, James V and the regency of Mary of Guise 1554 -1560, until her death and the return to Scotland in 1561 of Mary Queen of Scots. Her memoirs, Lanterns Over Pinchgut, describe her extensive international experience. The Whitlam Government had won a second term in May 1974 following a double dissolution and picked up an additional three Senate seats, leaving it on equal numbers with the Liberal-Country party coalition and with the balance of power held by two independents. The dismissal of the government sparked demonstrations from Whitlam's supporters, with the anger directed at Kerr a major factor in his early retirement in December 1977 and subsequent withdrawal from public life. They were married in 1975 during his term of office, six months after the death of his first wife Alison. Fraser had arrived earlier and been shown into another room. 9th Baron of Ferniehirst (Kerr) ... II, died in 1543. In 1938 Kerr had married ‘Peggy’, with whom he had three children. [12] Kerr did not know Whitlam well, although they had shared legal chambers some years earlier, but he had remained friends with several ministers in Whitlam's government, such as Jim McClelland and Joe Riordan. [39], On the establishment of the Order of Australia on 14 February 1975, as Governor-General he was made Principal Companion of the Order (AC). Despite the passion of die-hard Labor supporters, furious at what they saw as an establishment plot to destroy a Labor government, Labor suffered its greatest-ever loss (7.4% down on its 1974 vote) at the hands of the Coalition, which continued to hold power until 1983. [9]:p.192 During this period his political views became more conservative. Kerr served as chairman of that organisation until 1970.[9]:p.172. His first choice, Ken Myer, declined; he then offered the post to Mr Justice Kerr (as he then was), who accepted on condition that he could expect to have ten years in the office, and that he could represent Australia overseas as head of state. He let his membership lapse after the party split of 1955. [16] In April 1975, he married Anne Robson, who had recently divorced her first husband, Hugh Robson QC, a New South Wales judge and former colleague of Kerr's. [39] (This was another appointment he had unsuccessfully sought from Whitlam in 1974. The provisions of the Electoral Act meant that the last date on which a 1975 election could be announced was 11 November. Intervention by the Governor-General was the only clear remedy in the event that supply could not be legislated and the prime minister declined to advise an election. Her marriage to Robson was dissolved in early 1975. [25] After Kerr's death, his former embittered close friend, Whitlam cabinet member James McClelland, claimed that Kerr had long aspired to be "top dog in Australia"; that Kerr had once made a pass at him; and that the Dismissal could only be fully understood if Kerr's alleged repressed homosexuality was factored in—that an infatuation with Whitlam had become one for Fraser.[26][27]. The Senate had the right under Section 53 of the Constitution to block supply. [19]:p.288 He also saw evidence in the opinion polls that the public was unhappy about the action of the Senate in delaying supply with the coalition polling dropping 10% in the 4 weeks during which Supply was blocked. It made him anathema to almost half the population and an embarrassment to a significant proportion of the remainder. Kerr knew that Whitlam intended to ask for a half-Senate election, one which would need to be conducted without supply,. Sir John’s son, Sir Thomas Kerr of Ferniehirst, was noted for his loyalty to Mary Queen of Scots, for whom he built a fortified house in the centre of Jedburgh. In 1935 she was awarded a French Government travelling scholarship and gained her Master of Arts from the Sorbonne, Paris. For this reason, he was keen to see the crisis brought to an early conclusion. Though the rage an outraged Whitlam demanded be maintained has almost entirely faded, that decision ruined Kerr. Kerr was born in Sydney to working-class parents. Through her, Kerr acquired two stepchildren. Carlton. Anne Kerr, Lady Kerr (née Taggart, previously Robson; 1914 – 16 September 1997) was the second wife of Sir John Kerr, Governor-General of Australia (1974–1977). His contemporaries remembered him as quite aloof; one of his few close friends was Francis James. She appeared as an official French-English interpreter at more than 30 international conferences over ten years, including Colombo Plan meetings. Kerr returned to the bar in 1948, becoming a prominent lawyer representing trade union clients and a member of the Labor Party. And this was a man who had lost his wife," she said. [9]:p.341–342 Kerr asked Barwick to advise him on whether he had the constitutional power to dismiss Whitlam, and Barwick advised him, in writing, that he did. Shortly thereafter he married Kathleen "Cait" Mills, whom he had met when she was working as a paralegal spearheading efforts to obtain parole for Lee. 2016) p. xiii, Jenny Hocking The Dismissal Dossier: Everything You Were Never Meant to Know About November 1975 updated edition (MUP. 1357. The Liberal Opposition Leader, Malcolm Fraser, decided to use the Senate to block the government's budget bills, thus forcing an early election for the House of Representatives (this is called "blocking supply"). [9]:p.13 Whitlam seems to have believed that, because of Kerr's former membership in the Labor Party, he was still politically "reliable", without realising that Kerr's political views had changed and that he had come to see the role of Governor-General differently from Whitlam. Blank 30 ft 6. … [36], John Kerr was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) on 1 January 1966 for services as President of the Law Council of Australia. His son Sir John Kerr, 8th Baron of Ferniehirst, did great service against the English and rescued Queen Mary from incursions by the English against the Scots. Genealogy profile for Sir John Kerr Sir John Kerr (c.1140 - c.1205) - Genealogy Genealogy for Sir John Kerr (c.1140 - c.1205) family tree on Geni, with over 200 million profiles of ancestors and living relatives. In fact, his resignation had already been proposed as early as March 1977, during the Queen's visit. He found the personal attacks on him and his wife (whom Whitlam and others accused of having been a sinister influence) deeply wounding. Sir John Kerr and Gough Whitlam The Whitlam Government had won a second term in May 1974 , but failed to win control of the Senate , where the balance of power was held by two independents. Sir Schomberg Kerr McDonnell, GCVO, KCB, FSA, was the youngest son of Mark McDonnell, 5th Earl of Antrim, and his wife Jane Emma Hannah Macan. "[30] Jack Waterford observed that, above all, "Sir John's legacy was to make the viceroyalty a most controversial post and himself one of the most discussed persons ever to occupy it".[31]. [19]:p.356 Whitlam and Kerr met alone in Kerr's study. In 1932, Kerr began studying law at the University of Sydney. Kerr did not know Whitlam well, but he had remained friends with several ministers in Whitlam's government, such as James McClelland and Joe Riordan. On 17 October, Whitlam told an interviewer that the Governor-General could not intervene in the crisis in view of the convention that he must always act on the advice of his Prime Minister. 83 ft 8. He had three children by his first wife, Alison Worstead. The House of Representatives was suspended at 12:55 pm for the luncheon break. [6] Kerr eventually graduated in 1936 with first-class honours and the University Medal. He won scholarships to Fort Street Boys' High School and the University of Sydney, where he studied law. n.d., [Biographical cuttings on Lady Anne Kerr, wife of former Governor-General Sir John Kerr, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals] Wikipedia Citation. Sir John Kerr with his second wife, Lady Ann, on their wedding day in April 1975. Credit: Alan Purcell. Kerr died alone in his home in Sydney in 1991 from a brain tumour, survived by his three children and his second wife. [9]:p.342–344 He also advised him that at least one other High Court justice, Sir Anthony Mason, concurred in this view. He joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was briefly an endorsed candidate for the 1951 federal election. John Kerr was born in 1937, educated at a primary school in Preston and a new grammar school near Manchester, entered Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1954 and was commissioned in 1957 (He graduated in first place, for which he was awarded HM the Queen’s Gold … At a press conference that afternoon he said "The Governor-General prevented me getting in touch with the Queen by just withdrawing the commission immediately"[9]:p.359[23] In an article in Quadrant magazine (March 2005, Volume 49, Number 3), David Smith, Kerr's Official Secretary, claimed that Whitlam knew of Kerr's intentions, the Queen had already made her position of non-intervention known to Whitlam and Kerr,[19]:p.329 and Kerr had called a double dissolution to be fair to both candidates, sincerely believing that Whitlam could win back government with the necessary majority in both houses.

Demodex Folliculorum Treatment, How To Get Rid Of Chlorine Taste In Mouth, Jes1145sh1ss Parts List, Winston-salem Police Calls, Weather In Minot Nd In October, Paulding County Police Reports,