PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Number 2 March 2016 Historical Notes: Court Family Dynasty
Sir Charles Court and Richard Court, 2006-2007 Oil on composition board by Mary Moore Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery “Moore has portrayed the Courts in the Speaker's corridor of the Parliament of Western Australia”
The Courts: first Western Australian father and son premiers
Sir Charles Court and Richard of iron ore in the north‐west and Richard Court joined the Court were the first father and bauxite and mineral sands in the Liberal Party in 1981. In his son premiers in Western south‐west. inaugural speech to the Australia. Sir Charles was premier Parliament of Western for nearly eight years whilst Court succeeded Sir David Brand Australia, Court paid tribute to Richard Court for eight years. a er the premier was defeated his father and spoke on by John Tonkin's Labor Party in economic management. He Sir Charles Court joined the 1972. Court won the elec on with held a number of shadow Liberal Party due to ‘disturbing the Na onal Country Party in por olios including resources, trends’ post‐war. In 1953 Sir 1974. Sir Charles was known for industrial development and Charles won pre‐selec on for the his an ‐centralist views and Aboriginal affairs. He became seat of Nedlands for the Liberal defence of states’ rights. There opposi on leader of the Liberal party. Ironically he won with ALP were controversial issues during Party and finally premier a er preferences. He was member for Court’s premiership including the leading the Liberal‐Na onal Nedlands for 29 years. When Sir Noonkanbah land rights dispute; coali on to victory in 1993. Charles re red in 1982, his son, the introduc on of sec on 54B of Richard Court was elected the the Police Act that prohibited Richard Court said his member for Nedlands at the gatherings of more than three government ‘introduced resul ng by‐elec on on 13 March people in public without police measures aimed at reducing 1982. They represented the seat permission; and the closure of the debt, reforming the public of Nedlands for 48 years. Fremantle to Perth railway line. sector and suppor ng economic growth’. Court is In his maiden speech Sir Charles Sir Charles was commi ed to arts recognised for restoring spoke of the Commonwealth‐ and educa on with the opening stability following the WA Inc State financial rela ons. In 1959 of Murdoch University, Royal Commission. He lost Court was appointed Minister for restora on of His Majesty's government when Labor’s Dr Industrial Development, Railways Theatre and construc on of the Geoff Gallop became premier. and the North‐West. He was new Art Gallery of WA building. He resigned from his seat two instrumental to the development months later.
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Charles Court, son of an English migrant plumber
Charles Walter Michael Court was educated at Court was born 29 Leederville and Rosalie September 1911 in Crawley, primary schools and Perth Sussex, England. He was Boys’ School un l he was 15 the son of Walter James years old. A er passing his Court, master plumber, and Intermediate Cer ficate he Rose Rebecca Rice. His le school. Court wanted to parents emigrated to study law but the family had Western Australia when insufficient money for Charles was seven months university fees so he studied old. They arrived at accountancy part‐ me at Fremantle Port, 1 May 1912 Perth Technical College and and stayed with friends in by correspondence as an Leederville. ar cled clerk. Rose Court with sons Charles and Sydney (on chair) State Library BA1011/1377 From private to lieutenant
As a boy, Charles sold firm Hendry, Rae and Court newspapers to supplement from 1938. his parent’s income. From In 1940 he enlisted in the 1927 to 1932 he worked as “If you’re not five army and by January 1942 he an ar cled clerk for an was in the Australian Imperial minutes early accountancy firm. In 1933 Force. He rose rapidly from you’re late”: Court began prac ce as a the rank of private to officer. chartered accountant in Sir Charles Court On 27 September 1945 he was Perth and 50 years later he appointed Lieutenant‐Colonel. was named Australian He served in the south‐west Chartered Accountant of Pacific including Bougainville the Year. He was a founding during World War II. partner in the accountancy Court Charles Walter Michael: Service Record NAA: B883, WX11125 Married at Highgate Hill
On 3 June 1936 at St Albans nurse, Judith Mildred Bu Church, Highgate Hill, OAM at St Stephen’s Anglican Perth, Sir Charles Court Church, Serpen ne, WA. married Rita Maud Sir Charles Court died aged 96 Steffanoni. They had five years on 22 December 2007 in sons. His second born son, Co esloe a er suffering a Barry was president of the stroke earlier in the year. A Pastoralists’ and Graziers’ state memorial service was Associa on. He married held in Winthrop Hall at the tennis star, Margaret Court University of Western in 1967. Rita Court died in Australia. He was cremated at 1992. Sir Charles Court and his wife Rita, March the Karraka a Cemetery. His 1974. State Library BA1119/P2503-3 Court married again on 22 ashes are in the Church of June 1997 to his former England sec on.
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Number 2
Richard Court, son of a Western Australian premier
Richard Fairfax Court was Western Australia for a Bachelor 1989 at St Andrews Church, born on 27 September 1947 of Commerce which he Claremont. They have one in the Perth suburb of completed in 1968. daughter. Nedlands, Western Australia. He was the fourth son of Sir On 17 April 1970 he married Richard Court and his wife, Charles Court and Rita Helen Margaret Dewar, Jo are Chris ans. Court Steffanoni. daughter of Louis Roy and was a church warden in the Barbara Beeck at St Lawrence Anglican Church. He is Court was educated at Church in Dalkeith. They had currently chair of the Perth Dalkeith Primary School and one son and one daughter but Diocesan Trustees of the the pres gious Hale School divorced in 1977. Court later Anglican Church. In from 1959 to 1963. The married Joanne Frances Moffat, another volunteer role, he following year he began daughter of William George and is trustee of the Channel 7 studies at the University of June Ellen Hood on 7 January Telethon Trust. “...Richard and Richard’s wife, Jo” ABC website
From truck driver to company director
Richard Court worked as a 1974. Court was managing Australian Capital Equity. truck driver while studying director of Court Marine Pty Ltd He has also been chair of externally. He was a tutor in from 1974 un l he entered the engineering company industrial rela ons on the parliament. GRD. He is currently non‐ Pilbara 1969. From 1969 to execu ve chairman of the 1970 he was a management A er leaving parliament, Court Na onal Hire Group and a trainee at American Motors established a Consultancy: RF and director of WesTrac Pty Ltd, and then Ford Motor Jo Court. He accepted a senior two companies that are part Company in Detroit, USA. advisory role with accountancy of Seven Group (part owned When he returned to WA he firm KPMG. He also became by Kerry Stokes). He has ran his own fast–food chairman of Resource Investment also been a director of Iron business, Sir Henry’s Food Strategy Consultants. In 2010 it Ore Holdings and Helm Stores, from 1970 to was reported that he was a Wholesalers’ Pty Ltd. consultant for Kerry Stokes’
Richard Court Music and sailing State Library BA1622/167
Sir Charles Court’s great performed in the orchestra passion was music. He was a pit when dancer, Anna talented cornet player. He Pavlova made one of her final was Junior, Amateur and Australian performances. Open Champion Cornet Richard Court’s favourite Player 1928 and Champion of pursuit is sailing. In the 1960s Champions for all brass and 1970s he won the state instruments at Tanunda, Skate Class Yach ng South Australia in 1930. Court championships. As a child he played trumpet and cornet in built yachts on the back orchestras and bands. He was verandah of Cherrita, his also a conductor of bands childhood home in Dalkeith. including the RSL Memorial Band un l 1952. He famously RSL Junior Band, 1930 State Library BA1163
Parliamentary Library of Western Australia
BRONZED: Statue of Sir Charles Court on the corner of St George's Terrace and Milligan St, Perth CBD. Photograph: courtesy of Will Russell
In 2011 a bronze statue created by sculptor, Tony Jones was unveiled on St George’s Terrace in Perth to commemorate Sir Charles Court’s 100th birthday.
Courts: honours and departures
Sir Charles Court was well Federa on Medal. health research and cultural recognised in his own heritage and to economic life me for his army service, Richard Court was also development…” awarded for his service to the accoun ng and poli cal community. In 2003 he was Richard Court has kept a career. The year Sir Charles presented with the Centenary low profile since his re red as premier he of Federa on Medal which departure from poli cs. He received a knighthood. In was the same year he was thought it was me for his December 1945 he was appointed Companion of the family to live in private. awarded the OBE (Military Order of Australia (AC). The When Sir Charles died in Division) for ensuring cita on states it was for 2007, former prime ‘maintenance of all troops “service to the Western minister, John Howard Australian Parliament and to described Sir Charles as a along three separate lines of the community, par cularly ‘strong and effec ve leader communica on’. In 2003 he the Indigenous community, premier, a great Liberal and was awarded Centenary of and in the areas of child fine Australian’.
Sources
D Black and G Bolton, eds, Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Aus‐ tralia: volume two 1930‐2010, Western Australian Parliamentary History Project, Perth, WA, 2011.
K Campbell, ‘Tributes flow for champion of State’, The West Australian, 24 December 2007, p. 4.
Cons tu onal Centre website, accessed 18 January 2016.
It’s An Honour website, accessed 18 January 20016.
R Jamieson, Charles Court I love this place, St George Books, Osborne Park, 2011.
M Queke , ‘Richard Court’s re ring from poli cs doesn't mean slowing down, it just means more flexibility and the odd compliment’, The West Australian, 30 October 2010, p. 66.