“Date of Birth

07 February 1917

Schooling

 Boys' Central State School, Ipswich

 Ipswich Grammar

University Education

 LL.M, University of Queensland (1946)

 LL.B, University of Queensland (1939)
 BA, University of Queensland (1937)

Honours

 Centenary Medal (2003)

 Companion of the Order of Australia (1987)
 Honorary Doctorate, Griffith University (1987)
 Knight Grand Cross of St Michael and St George (1981)
 Honorary Doctor of Laws, University of Queensland (1980)
 Privy Counsellor (1972)
 Knight Commander of the British Empire (1970)
 Mentioned in Despatches (1945)

Awards

 P.J.McDermott Memorial Prize for English Language and Literature (1937)

Judicial Career

 Chief Justice, High Court of Australia (1981-1987)

 Judge, High Court of Australia (1970-1981)
 Judge, Federal Court for Bankruptcy (1967-1970)
 Judge, Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory (1967-1970)
 Judge, Supreme Court of Queensland (1961-1967)

Pre-judicial Career

 Chairman, Supreme Court Library Committee (1963-1967)

 Member of the Law Faculty Board, University of Queensland (1954-1967)
 Member, Queensland Barristers' Board (1951-1961)
 Member, Editorial Board, University of Queensland Law Journal (1951-1959)
 Member, Barristers' Board of Examiners (1951-1957)
 Lecturer in evidence, University of Queensland (1948-1959)
 Lecturer in Personal Property, University of Queensland (1948-1957)
 Editor, University of Queensland Law Journal (1948-1951)
 AIF (1942-1945)
 Australian Military Forces (1939-1942)
 Appointed QC (1957)
 Admitted as a Barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland (1939)
 Inaugural President, Law Students' Society, University of Queensland
 Editor, Galmahra - Student literary magazine
 Vice-President, Emmanuel College, University of Queensland
 President, Students' Union, University of Queensland
 Committee member, Bar Association of Queensland

Extra Judicial Positions

 Inaugural President, Samuel Griffith Society (1992-2004)

 Chairman, Australian Tax Research Foundation (1990-2002)
 Chairman, Inquiry into Community Needs and High Voltage Transmission Line Development, NSW
(1990-1991)
 President, Kiribati Court of Appeal (1988-1999)
 Chairman, Review of Commonwealth Criminal Law (1987-1991)
 President, Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences (1980-1982)
 Commissiobner of the Queensland Royal Commission of Inquiry into Certain Matters Relatingf to
Members of the Police Force and the National Hotel (1963-1964)
 Court of Appeal, Vanuatu (1993)
 Chairman, Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy (1992)
 Chairman, Parliamentary Judges Commission of Inquiry, Queensland (1989)
 Visiting Fellow, University of Queensland Law School (1988)
 Chief Adjudicatoer, BHP Pursuit of Excellence Awards (1987)
 Menzies Lecturer, Virginia (1987)
 Chairman, Committee of Inquiry into the Expansion of Australian Sugar Industry (1963)
 Honorary Bencher, Lincoln's Inn
 Honorary Fellow, Emmanuel College, Queensland University

Biographical Notes

Harry Talbot Gibbs was born on 7 February 1917 in Sydney, New South Wales, son of Harry Victor
Gibbs, solicitor, and his wife, Flora Macdonald Talbot (née Woods), school teacher. He attended Boys’
Central State School, Ipswich, and Ipswich Grammar School before attending the University of
Queensland where he was inaugural president of the Law Students Society, president of the University of
Queensland Students Union, vice-president of Emmanuel College and editor of the student journal,
Galmahra. He graduated Bachelor of Arts with first class honours (1937) and Bachelor of Laws with first
class honours (1939).

On 30 May 1939, Gibbs was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland. After a brief
period in practice at the bar in Brisbane, he enlisted for war service on 2 December 1939. Gibbs held staff
appointments throughout the Second World War, attaining the rank of major and was Mentioned in
Despatches on 29 September 1945. Gibbs married Muriel Ruth Dunn, a graduate in law at the University
of Queensland, on 17 November 1944. They had three daughters and one son. His war work provided the
inspiration for a thesis concerning the legal system of New Guinea for which he was awarded a Master of
Laws degree by the University of Queensland (1946). Gibbs returned to practice at the bar in Brisbane
and lectured at the University of Queensland law school (1948-59). Gibbs took silk on 7 February 1957
(became Barrister).

On 8 June 1961, Gibbs was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. Gibbs served as
chairman of the Supreme Court library committee (1963-67), conducted a commission of inquiry into
allegations concerning the National Hotel (1964), was chairman of the commission of inquiry into the
expansion of the Australian sugar industry (1963) and was chairman of the Rules Revision Committee.
On 24 June 1967, Gibbs resigned from the court to take up a position as a judge of the Federal Court of
Bankruptcy and the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.

On 4 August 1970, Gibbs was appointed a judge of the High Court of Australia. He was appointed a
Knight of the British Empire (1970) and a Privy Councillor (1972). On 12 February 1981, he became
chief justice of the High Court. Gibbs was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of St
Michael and St George (1983). In 1987, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (1987).
Gibbs was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Queensland (1980) and Griffith
University and was made an honorary bencher of Lincoln’s Inn.
Gibbs retired from judicial office, at the statutory retirement age of 70, on 5 February 1987. He chaired
the review of the Commonwealth Criminal Law (1987-91) and Queensland Parliamentary Judges
Commission of Inquiry (19890. In 2003, he was awarded the Centenary Medal. Gibbs died in Sydney on
25 June 2005. Upon his death, Lady Gibbs donated a number of Gibbs' personal and professional
materials to the Supreme Court Library Queensland. “

“Personal advantages Sir Harry Gibbs came to the High Court with numerous advantages. One was a
good school and university education, which gave him wide literary and historical interests”

In this he was generally thought to stand in contrast to his energetic but combative predecessor, Sir
Garfield Barwick, who was Chief Justice for 17 years