Mellis Napier

Sir Thomas John Mellis Napier KCMG KStJ QC (24 October 1882 – 22 March 1976) was an Australian judge and academic administrator. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia (1924–1967), Chief Justice of South Australia (1942–1967), and Chancellor of the University of Adelaide (1948–1961).

The Honourable
Sir Mellis Napier
KCMG KStJ QC
5th Chief Justice of South Australia
In office
25 February 1942 – 28 February 1967
Preceded bySir George Murray
Succeeded byJohn Bray
Lieutenant-Governor of South Australia
In office
30 April 1942 – 3 September 1973
Preceded bySir George Murray
Succeeded bySir Walter Crocker
Judge of the Supreme Court
of South Australia
In office
28 February 1924 – 28 February 1967
Preceded byJohn Gordon
Succeeded byJohn Bray
Chancellor of the University of Adelaide
In office
21 October 1947 – 29 September 1961
Preceded byWilliam Mitchell
Succeeded byGeorge Ligertwood
Personal details
Born(1882-10-24)24 October 1882
Dunbar, East Lothian, Scotland
Died22 March 1976(1976-03-22) (aged 93)
Kingswood, South Australia

Early life and education

Thomas John Mellis Napier was born in Dunbar in East Lothian to Dr. Alexander Disney Leith Napier FRSE and his wife Jessie Mellis. The family moved to London in 1887, where he attended the City of London School, and emigrated to Australia in 1896, Alexander Napier having taken the post of senior resident physician at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.[1]

Thomas Napier studied law at the University of Adelaide, graduating LLB in 1902.[1]

In 1903 Napier became managing clerk for Kingston & McLachlan, and became a partner with McLachlan in 1906.[1]

He was appointed judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia in 28 February 1924, serving until 28 February 1967, and served as Chief Justice of South Australia from 25 February 1942 until 28 February 1967.

In 1964, Napier presided over the trial of Glen Sabre Valance, the last man hanged in South Australia. Valance was also the second-to-last man to be executed in Australia overall.

Other roles

In 1912, together with Thomas Poole, Napier resuscitated the Law Society of South Australia, and served as its vice president in 1923.[2]

Napier was Chancellor of the University of Adelaide from 1948 to 1961.[3]

Honours

Recognition and legacy
Dowie's bust of Mellis Napier

Personal life

On 24 October 1908 Napier married Dorothy Bell Kay (died 1959) at Walkerville. They had three sons, one of whom was killed whilst serving with the Royal Australian Air Force in 1944.[1]

He died on 22 March 1976 at Kingswood, South Australia and, following a state funeral, was cremated.[11]

References
  1. "Napier, Sir Thomas John Mellis (1882–1976)". Biography - Sir Thomas John Mellis Napier. Retrieved 27 October 2017. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. "Sir Mellis Napier, KCMG". SA History Hub. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  3. "Napier Building". The University of Adelaide. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  4. "No. 35557". The London Gazette. 12 May 1942. p. 2075.
  5. "No. 35841". The London Gazette (2nd supplement). 29 December 1942. p. 2.
  6. "Court Circular". Court and Social. The Times. No. 49749. London. 10 January 1944. p. 6. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  7. "No. 36866". The London Gazette (1st supplement). 29 December 1944. p. 6.
  8. "Order Of St. John". Official Appointments and Notices. The Times. No. 51271. London. 5 January 1949. p. 7. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  9. "No. 38503". The London Gazette. 4 January 1949. p. 81.
  10. "S.A. Coronation Medal List". The Advertiser. Vol. 95, no. 29, 527. South Australia. 2 June 1953. p. 5. Retrieved 5 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  11. "Obituary Sir Mellis Napier". The Canberra Times. Vol. 50, no. 14, 335. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 March 1976. p. 9. Retrieved 5 March 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.