Kenneth Street (jurist)

The Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Kenneth Whistler Street KCMG, KStJ, QC
10th Chief Justice of New South Wales
In office 6 January 1950 – 27 January 1960
Appointed by	Elizabeth II
Preceded by	Sir Frederick Jordan
Succeeded by	Herbert Evatt
Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales
In office 27 February 1950 – 22 April 1972
Preceded by	Sir Frederick Jordan
Succeeded by	Sir Leslie Herron
Personal details
Born	(1890-01-28)28 January 1890 Sydney, New South Wales
Died	15 February 1972(1972-02-15) (aged 82) Sydney, New South Wales
Nationality	Australia
Spouse	Jessie Street
Children	Laurence Street
Parent	Philip Street (father)
Relatives	Street family
Alma mater	Sydney Law School
Military service
Allegiance	Commonwealth of Australia
Branch/service	Australian Army
Rank	Lieutenant-Colonel
Battles/wars	World War I

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Kenneth Whistler Street, KCMG, KStJ, QC (28 January 1890 – 15 February 1972) was the 10th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales. These vice-regal roles were held by his father Sir Philip Whistler Street before him and his son Colonel Sir Laurence Whistler Street after him.

Sir Kenneth enlisted in the Australian Army in World War I and was deployed to France in September 1914 to fight with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the Australian Army. He was a lecturer at Sydney Law School and a considerable scholar outside the law, being an authority on the writings of Pepys and an accomplished Latinist.

Early years

He was born on 28 January 1890 in Woollahra, the eldest son of Sir Philip Whistler Street and his Melburnian wife Belinda Maud (née Poolman). He attended Sydney Grammar School and Sydney Law School (B.A., 1911; LL.B., 1914), winning scholarships in law. On 29 September 1914, he enlisted to serve in World War I with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in France. He was appointed Lieutenant of the 18th (North Sydney) Infantry Regiment in December 1915, and promoted to Captain in September 1917, serving in the Adjutant General's Department, Army Headquarters, Melbourne. His elder brother Lieutenant Lawrence Whistler Street, a fellow Sydney Law School student, enlisted before him and was sent to fight in the Battle of Gallipoli, where he was killed in action at age 21. Sir Kenneth named his son Sir Laurence Whistler Street in his brother's honour.

Juridicial career

Between 1921 and 1927, Street lectured part time at Sydney Law School. Meanwhile, he continued his career in the Militia as a legal staff officer (1922–28) and rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Street enjoyed a wide general practice and would have taken silk but for his appointment to serve on the reconstituted Industrial Commission of New South Wales from 16 December 1927. He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on 7 October 1931. He thus joined the bench of which his father was then Chief Justice, the first and only such case in Australian history. In 1949, as senior puisne judge, Street acted as Chief Justice when Sir Frederick Jordan died. Confirmed in that office from 6 January 1950, he was sworn in on 7 February, thus becoming the second of three consecutive generations of the Street family to serve as Chief Justice and Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales.

Further details

As well as being a jurist, he was a considerable scholar outside the law, being an authority on the writings of Pepys and an accomplished Latinist. In 1951, he was made a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. In 1952, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Sydney. In 1956, he was made Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. He retired from the bench on his 70th birthday, as did his father. Sir Kenneth died peacefully on 15 February 1972 and had a state funeral at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney. Street House at Cranbrook School, Sydney was named in his honour.

Family

Sir Kenneth married Jessie Mary Grey Lillingston, daughter of Charles Alfred Gordon Lillingston, JP and Mabel Harriet Ogilvie, who was in turn the daughter of Australian politician Edward David Stuart Ogilvie, MLC and Theodosia Isabella Ogilvie (née de Burgh). His wife was a prominent diplomat who served as Australia's first female delegate to the United Nations. They had four children, including Colonel Sir Laurence Whistler Street and Phillippa Whistler Street, who married the Australian Test cricketer and journalist Jack Fingleton, OBE.

See also

• Street family