Movers and Shakers of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta: James Augustine Gobbo

Tuesday, 2 September 2008

James Augustine Gobbo

Sir James Augustine Gobbo - Supreme Court Jurist; Governor of Victoria; Chairman Australian Multicultural Foundation; Chairman Council of the Order of Australia; Chairman Council o/t Electricity Industry Ombudsman

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Chairman Library Council Home Next Member Sir James Augustine Gobbo, AC, CVO, QC BA (Hons) (Melb), MA (Oxon), Hon LLD (Monash), Hon LLD (Bologna), DUniv (ACU), Hon LLD (Melb), Hon FAIV Chairman, Australian Multicultural Foundation Chairman, Council of the Order of Australia Reappointed 27 June 2007 for a further three-year term until 26 June 2010. Former Positions 1997 - 2000: Governor of Victoria 1995 - 1997: Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria 1995 - 1999: Chairman, Council of the Electricity Industry Ombudsman 1995 - 1997: President, Order of Australia Association

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Chairman Library Council Home Next Member
Sir James Augustine Gobbo, AC, CVO, QC

BA (Hons) (Melb), MA (Oxon), Hon LLD (Monash), Hon LLD (Bologna), DUniv (ACU), Hon LLD (Melb), Hon FAIV

Chairman, Australian Multicultural Foundation

Chairman, Council of the Order of Australia

Reappointed 27 June 2007 for a further three-year term until 26 June 2010.
Former Positions

1997 - 2000: Governor of Victoria

1995 - 1997: Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria

1995 - 1999: Chairman, Council of the Electricity Industry Ombudsman

1995 - 1997: President, Order of Australia Association

http://www.nla.gov.au/council/gobbo.html

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The Governor, Sir James Gobbo, AC (left) discussing HRV Volume 7 with John Meckan, Director Melbourne University Press and Ross Gibbs, Director Public Record Office Victoria.

http://www.prov.vic.gov.au/pubs/pa15/pa15.htm

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James Gobbo Sir James Augustine Gobbo, AC CVO QC (b. 22 March 1931, Melbourne, Victoria) was an Australian jurist and was the 25th Governor of Victoria. Family James Gobbo was born to Italian parents, who returned to Italy briefly before returning to live permanently in Australia in 1938. Gobbo attended Xavier College before studying law at the University of Melbourne during which time he lived at Newman College. In 1951 he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, with which he attained a Master of Arts degree at Oxford University. Gobbo married former librarian Shirley Lewis in 1957, and has five children. His son James Gobbo, Jr. was the Liberal candidate for the district of Bentleigh in the 2006 Victorian legislative election. Judicial career After many years as a barrister and later as a Queen's Counsel, Gobbo was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Victoria. He served from 18 July 1978 until he retired from the bench on 28 February 1994. Political career Gobbo served as Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria from 1995 until he was appointed Governor of Victoria in 1997 by the government of Premier Jeff Kennett. He was the first Australian state governor of Italian descent. In 2000 the new Premier Steve Bracks announced that Gobbo's successor would be John Landy, who would take up his post in January 2001. Gobbo immediately made it known that he had had an understanding with Kennett for an extension of his term beyond 2000, and expressed deep disappointment that this was not now to occur. After leaving office, Gobbo took up the position of Commissioner for Italy for the Victorian Government until June 2006 and has since continued on various boards and councils. As of 2006, he is the Chair of the Council of the National Library of Australia and the Council of the Order of Australia and Chair of the Australian Multicultural Foundation. Honours Gobbo was knighted in 1982 and became a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1993. He is also a Knight of Malta (see [1]).

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James Gobbo

Sir James Augustine Gobbo, AC CVO QC (b. 22 March 1931, Melbourne, Victoria) was an Australian jurist and was the 25th Governor of Victoria.

Family

James Gobbo was born to Italian parents, who returned to Italy briefly before returning to live permanently in Australia in 1938.

Gobbo attended Xavier College before studying law at the University of Melbourne during which time he lived at Newman College. In 1951 he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, with which he attained a Master of Arts degree at Oxford University.

Gobbo married former librarian Shirley Lewis in 1957, and has five children. His son James Gobbo, Jr. was the Liberal candidate for the district of Bentleigh in the 2006 Victorian legislative election.

Judicial career

After many years as a barrister and later as a Queen's Counsel, Gobbo was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Victoria. He served from 18 July 1978 until he retired from the bench on 28 February 1994.

Political career

Gobbo served as Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria from 1995 until he was appointed Governor of Victoria in 1997 by the government of Premier Jeff Kennett. He was the first Australian state governor of Italian descent.

In 2000 the new Premier Steve Bracks announced that Gobbo's successor would be John Landy, who would take up his post in January 2001. Gobbo immediately made it known that he had had an understanding with Kennett for an extension of his term beyond 2000, and expressed deep disappointment that this was not now to occur.

After leaving office, Gobbo took up the position of Commissioner for Italy for the Victorian Government until June 2006 and has since continued on various boards and councils.

As of 2006, he is the Chair of the Council of the National Library of Australia and the Council of the Order of Australia and Chair of the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

Honours

Gobbo was knighted in 1982 and became a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1993. He is also a Knight of Malta (see [1]).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Gobbo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Knights_of_Malta

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Tangible international links

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Monash chancellor Mr Jerry Ellis, Governor of Victoria Sir James Gobbo and Prato centre director Professor Bill Kent.

The Governor of Victoria, Sir James Gobbo, officially accepted an invitation to become the new patron of Monash University in Prato at a reception at the Monash city offices last week.

Sir James said he had followed the establishment of the Prato centre with great interest, as Monash had become the first Australian university to have a physical presence in Italy.

"It's so important for Australian universities that aspire to achieve the very best in international standards to form valuable international linkages," he said.

"There's no more tangible and effective way to make such linkages work than to be physically present and physically related to the people."

Prato centre director Professor Bill Kent welcomed Sir James, saying there could be no better or distinguished patron.

"He is one of the founding fathers of Australian multiculturalism and a tireless worker for the Italo-Australian community, and is also a champion of closer ties between the two countries," he said.

The reception was attended by about 80 people, including Monash chancellor Mr Jerry Ellis and representatives from the Italian community.

http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/records-archiv...0/issue40-00/about.html

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Ten members of the Association were admitted to the Promise in Obedience in Melbourne and Sydney in the course of 2006: they are (in order of admission) the President, HE Confrere James Dominguez; Confrere the Hon Sir James Gobbo; Confrere Nicholas Tonti-Filippini; Consoeurs Leonie Gallagher and Lady Murray and Confreres Dr George Boffa, Adrian Borg-Cardona, Robert Ward and Kevin Croagh;