John Armstrong Spicer (1899 - 1978)

Born 5 Mar 1899 in Armadale, Victoria (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Lavinia May (Webster) Spicer — married 1924 in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia

Died 3 Jan 1978 at age 78 in Armadale, Victoria, Australia

Biography

John Spicer is Notable.

Sir John Spicer was an Australian solicitor and barrister, politician, and judge. He served as a Senator for Victoria and was Attorney-General in the post Second World War years. He left parliament in 1956 to become Chief Judge of the newly created Commonwealth Industrial Court, a position he held for twenty years.

John Spicer was born in the Colony of Victoria (1851-1900)

John Armstrong Spicer was born on 5th March 1899 in 935 High Street, Armadale, Victoria (Australia). He was the older son of Henry Spicer, an English-born photographer, and Victorian-born Helen Armstrong. ^[1]

The family moved to England in 1905, whereupon John was educated at Chelston School, Torquay, a seaside town in Devon. When the family returned to Melbourne in 1911 John attended Hawksburn State School, South Yarra; gaining his matriculation at night school. The family worshipped in Christ Chist, South Yarra. With the assistance of Leonard Townsend, Vicor of Christ Christ, he started working as an office boy in a legal practice in 1913.

John studied law at the University of Melbourne from 1916 to 1918, and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor on 21st March 1921, signing the Bar roll on 5th May 1922. He later established a successful legal practice. He 'took silk', was appointed Kings Counsel (KC) in 1948 (this became Queen's Counsel upon Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.

John married Lavinia Webster on 27th June 1924 in Christ Church, South Yarra. ^[2] The couple made their home at 153 Glen Iris Road, Glen Iris, not far from John's birthplace. They had one son, John.

John's friendship with (Sir) Robert 'Bob' Menzies, a fellow law student, stimulated his political activity. In 1930 he co-founded the Young Nationalist Organisation, being elected Victorian president in 1933 and 1937.

John served two terms as a Senator for Victoria, from 1940 (elected in 1939) to June 1944 (defeated at the August 1943 election) and from February 1950 (elected in December 1949). In the Senate, he spoke frequently on tax issues, promoted 'sound and honest finance' and emphasised patriotism, especially during the Second World War years. He chaired the Senate Standing Committee on Regulations and Ordinances in 1940-43. He was appointed Attorney-General in 1949 upon his election, although he did not take up his seat in the Senate until February 1950.

Melbourne's Argus newspaper wrote of (Sir) John Spicer in 1944:

Undoubtedly he was one of the outstanding men of the Senate; he put his impress on that Chamber. He was able to grasp swiftly the essentials of any debate ... and to express his views logically, clearly, and, if necessary, forcibly. If you think that these are elementary qualifications which should be possessed by every member of Parliament, you should come to Canberra ...

He left parliament in August 1956 to become Chief Judge of the newly created Commonwealth Industrial Court, a position he held until 1976.

John was created Knight Bachelor in the Queen's Birthday Honours June 1963. ^[3] His friend and peer, Bob Menzies, Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister, was created Knight of the Order of the Thistle the same year, the only Australian to ever recieve that honour.

John chaired a royal commission in 1964 into the sinking of HMAS Voyager, attributing blame to officers of both Voyager and HMAS Melbourne (a second royal commission in 1967-68 attributed blame to Voyager's officers only).

Aged 78 years, John passed away on 3rd January 1978 in a private hospital in Armadale and, following state funeral in Christ Church, South Yarra, his ashes placed in Springvale Botanical Cemetery. ^[4] He was survived by his wife, son and brother.

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #7300/1899
2. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #3952/1924
3. ↑ Australian Honours; accessed 22 Aug 2023
4. ↑ Victoria Death Index #560/1978

See also

• Browne, Geoff. 'Spicer, Sir John Armstrong (1899–1978)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University published first in hardcopy 2002; accessed online 22 Aug 2023.
• The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate: 'Spicer, Sir John Armstrong (1899–1978)' (first published in The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate, vol. 2, 1929-1962, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic., 2004, pp. 153-159.); accessed online 22 Aug 2023.
• Wikipedia: 'John Spicer'; accessed 22 Aug 2023.