30 Facts About Isaac Isaacs

Isaac Isaacs had previously served on the High Court of Australia from 1906 to 1931, including as Chief Justice from 1930.

Isaac Isaacs began working as a schoolteacher at the age of 15, and later moved to Melbourne to work as a clerk and studied law part-time at the University of Melbourne.

Isaac Isaacs was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1892, and subsequently served as Solicitor-General under James Patterson, and Attorney-General under George Turner and Alexander Peacock.

Isaac Isaacs became Attorney-General of Australia in 1905, under Alfred Deakin, but the following year left politics in order to become a justice of the High Court.

King George V was opposed to the idea but eventually consented, and Isaacs took office in January 1931 as the first Australian-born holder of the office.

Isaac Isaacs was the first governor-general to live full-time at Yarralumla, and throughout his five-year term was popular among the public for his frugality during the Depression.

Some time after arriving the Isaacs moved into a cottage and shopfront in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, where Alfred continued his tailoring.

Isaac Alfred Isaacs was born in this cottage on 6 August 1855.

Isaac Isaacs's family moved to various locations around Melbourne while he was young, then in 1859 moved to Yackandandah in northern Victoria, close to family friends.

Yackandandah state school was opened in 1863 and Isaacs enrolled as a pupil.

In September 1870, when Isaacs was just 15 years old, he passed his examination as a pupil teacher and taught at the school from then until 1873.

Isaac Isaacs disputed a payment arrangement with the headmaster of his school, resigning as part of the dispute.

Isaac Isaacs graduated in 1880 with a Master of Laws degree in 1883.

Isaac Isaacs took silk as a Queen's Counsel in 1899.

In 1892 Isaacs was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly as a liberal.

Isaac Isaacs was the member for Bogong from May 1892 until May 1893 and between June 1893 and May 1901.

Isaac Isaacs was one of a group of backbenchers pushing for more radical policies and he earned the dislike of many of his colleagues through what they saw as his aloofness and rather self-righteous attitude to politics.

Alfred Deakin appointed Isaacs Attorney-General in 1905 but he was a difficult colleague and in 1906 Deakin was keen to get him out of politics by appointing him to the High Court bench.

Isaac Isaacs was the first serving minister to resign from the parliament.

Isaac Isaacs served on the court for 24 years, acquiring a reputation as a learned and radical but uncollegial justice.

Isaac Isaacs was one of two to have served in the Parliament of Victoria, along with Higgins.

Shortly after Isaacs became Chief Justice, the office of governor-general fell vacant and, after Cabinet discussion, Scullin offered the post to Isaacs.

Isaac Isaacs gave up his official residences in Sydney and Melbourne and most official entertaining.

Lady Isaacs died at Bowral, New South Wales, in 1960.

Isaac Isaacs remained active in various causes for another decade and wrote frequently on matters of constitutional law.

Isaac Isaacs opposed the notion of a Jewish homeland in Palestine.

Isaac Isaacs forced her out of the family home, reclaimed her wedding ring, and finally had her declared a vexatious litigant.

At a redistribution in November 1968, the electorate was abolished and a separate Division of Isaacs was created in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

The Canberra suburb of Isaacs was named after him in 1966.

In 1973 Isaacs was honoured with an Australian postage stamp bearing his portrait.