31 Facts About Albert Piddington

Albert Bathurst Piddington KC was an Australian lawyer, politician and judge.

Albert Piddington was a member of the High Court of Australia for one month in 1913, making him the shortest-serving judge in the court's history.

Albert Piddington studied classics at the University of Sydney, and later combined his legal studies with teaching at Sydney Boys High School.

Albert Piddington was defeated after a single term, and subsequently returned to his legal practice, becoming one of Sydney's best-known barristers.

Albert Piddington was sympathetic to the labour movement, and in April 1913 Andrew Fisher nominated him to the High Court as part of a court-packing attempt.

Albert Piddington's appointment was severely criticised, and he resigned a month later without ever sitting on the bench.

Later in 1913, Albert Piddington was made the inaugural chairman of the Inter-State Commission, serving until 1920.

Albert Piddington was appointed King's Counsel in 1913, and remained a public figure into his seventies.

Albert Piddington was born on 9 September 1862 in Bathurst, New South Wales.

Albert Piddington was the third son born to Annie and William Jones Killick Piddington.

Albert Piddington's father was born in England and arrived in the colony of Tasmania as a young man, where he was a Methodist lay preacher.

Albert Piddington spent his early years in inner Sydney where his father was active in Methodist missionary work.

Albert Piddington went on to attend the University of Sydney, graduating Bachelor of Arts in 1883 and winning the university medal in classics.

Albert Piddington subsequently read for the bar and was admitted as a barrister in 1890, serving as a judge's associate under William Windeyer for a period.

Albert Piddington joined the University of Sydney's faculty in 1889 as a lecturer in English literature.

Albert Piddington's edition included a discussion of the historical background of Milton's work in the context of Puritanism.

Albert Piddington first stood for parliament at the 1894 New South Wales general election, running on a radical platform against incumbent premier George Dibbs.

Albert Piddington resigned his lectureship at the University of Sydney to contest the election, following the university senate's decision that it would decline to grant him leave; it was rumoured that Dibbs had pressured the senate to do so.

Albert Piddington was defeated by Dibbs at the election in the Legislative Assembly seat of Tamworth, although Dibbs lost his majority in the assembly and was replaced as premier by George Reid, leading an alliance of the Free Trade and Labor groups.

Albert Piddington reprised his candidacy against Dibbs in Tamworth and was narrowly elected as a Free Trader, in what was regarded as a "highlight of the Reidites' triumph".

In spite of his support of Federation, Albert Piddington was highly critical of the draft federal constitution adopted by the second constitutional convention in 1897 and campaigned for the "No" vote in the 1898 New South Wales referendum.

In 1910, Albert Piddington was elected to the council of the University of Sydney.

Albert Piddington was one of four Justices appointed to the High Court in 1913.

Ultimately Albert Piddington resigned from the High Court one month after his appointment, having never sat at the bench.

In September 1913, Albert Piddington was appointed as the chairman of the Interstate Commission by Joseph Cook, the new Commonwealth Liberal Party Prime Minister.

Albert Piddington held that position until 1932, when following Governor of New South Wales Sir Philip Game's dismissal of the Lang government, Piddington resigned in protest, despite being just a few weeks short of being entitled to a pension.

In 1934, Albert Piddington was engaged by Czechoslovak writer Egon Kisch to represent him in his cases against the Australian government, which sought to deport him for his left-wing political views.

Historian Nicholas Hasluck has suggested that Albert Piddington "did not necessarily impress all of those associated with the case" and that Evatt had intervened with Albert Piddington's junior to guide his argument.

In 1940, Albert Piddington returned to the High Court as a plaintiff.

Albert Piddington won the appeal but was unsuccessful in the retrial in the Supreme Court.

In 1896, Albert Piddington married Marion Louisa O'Reilly, the daughter of an Anglican canon.