Edward Milner Stephen

Brief description

PER-90

Full description

Edward Milner Stephen was born on 9 July 1870 at Sydney, the son of Edward Milner Stephen, later Official Assignee, and his wife Florence Adelaide Mansel nee Smith. He was educated at Sydney Church of England Grammar School (school captain 1887) and at St Paul's College, University of Sydney (BA Honours 1891). (1)

Stephen was an awarding winning and active student. His awards included the 1886 University of Sydney Junior Public Examination Prize, the 1887 University of Sydney Senior Public Examination Prize, and the 1887 John West Medal for greatest proficiency in the Senior Public Examination. He also won the 1888 Salting Exhibition, awarded to a Sydney Grammar School student heading to the University. This scholarship was recommended by the School Trustees and covered three years. He matriculated to the University in 1888 winning the 1888 University Scholarship for his results in the Matriculation examination. But because he also won the 1888 Barker Scholarship No.II for Mathematics and the Cooper Scholarship No.II for Classics, he was ruled ineligible and the 1888 University Scholarship was awarded to Frank W Doak. Mathematics and Classics continued to be his strengths. For Mathematics he won the 1889 George Allen Scholarship, the 1890 Barker Scholarship, and the 1890 Norbert Quirk Prize. In Classics he won the 1889 Lithgow Scholarship and the 1890 Cooper Scholarship No.1. In 1890 he also won the St Paul's College Fellows Scholarship. He graduated in 1891 with First Class Honours in both Classics and Logic and Third Class Honours in Mathematics, winning the University Gold Medal for Classics. He was active in the Sydney University Union (secretary 1890, member Executive Committee 1891) and the University Dramatic Society (committee member 1890, one of the secretaries 1891). (2)

Stephen's law career began in October 1890 when he was articled as a law clerk. On 8 May 1891 he became an Associate and Clerk of Arraigns for his uncle, Justice Henry Matthew Stephen of the Supreme Court on New South Wales. He worked for his uncle until January 1896. He was called to the New South Wales Bar on 24 November 1896 and practised out of Selborne Chambers and on the Southern and South-western Circuit, mainly in Common Law. He was a member of the Council of the Bar of New South Wales on a number of occasions: 1909/10-1910/11, 1912/13-1917/18, 1919/20-1921/22, 1923/24, and 1927/28-1928/29. He was Treasurer in 1913/14. His appointment as a King's Counsel was approved by the Executive Council on 10 July 1928. (3)

Stephen was appointed an Acting Judges of the Supreme Court of New South Wales on 18 February 1929 to work in all jurisdictions for a period of six months. However before this period was up he was made a Puisne Judge on 10 June 1929, being the fourth generation of his family to serve on the Supreme Court. He worked primarily in Common Law and also in Divorce. (4)

Stephen was an alderman of Sydney City Council for Fitzroy Ward from 7 December 1900 to 31 December 1927. He was Deputy Lord Mayor in 1912. He was a member of a number of Committees, including the Finance Committee (1901-1904, 1907-1915), the Electric Lighting Committee (1905-1920), the Electric Supply Committee (1921, 1923-1927), and the Health Committee (1901-1904). A member of the Civic Reform Association, for 25 years he chaired the Association Aldermen. (5)

Stephen was active in the community. He was a council member of the Town Planning Association and the first Honorary Secretary of the Prisoners' Aid Association. (6)

Stephen died on 28 April 1939. He collapsed while summing up to a jury in a case before him, dying a few minutes later in his Chambers. He was survived by his wife, Mary (Mollie) Stuart nee Graham whom he married on 18 December 1913 at Darlinghurst. Their only son died in infancy. (7)

Endnotes
1. Fred Johns, Who's Who in the Commonwealth of Australia, Sydney, Angus and Robertson, 1922, p.259; Who's Who in Australia, Melbourne, Herald Press, 1933-34, p.291; 1935, p.438; 1938, pp.474-5; Australian Law Journal, Vol.13, pp.20-21 (12 May 1939); Martha Rutledge, 'Stephen, Edward Milner (1870-1939)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Online Edition, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A120078b.htm (cited 11 January 2008); University of Sydney Calendar, 1892, pp.338, 386-7, http://calendararchive.usyd.edu.au/index.php (cited 14 April 2009).
2. University of Sydney Calendar, op.cit. 1887, pp.198, 305; 1888, pp.183, 187, 191, 199, 203, 216, 332; 1889, pp.225-6, 322; 1890, pp.217, 219-20, 222, 235, 260-61, 307, 336-7, 356, 362; 1891, pp.248, 278, 320, 362-3; 384, 391 (cited 12 May 2008 and 14 April 2009).
3. Martha Rutledge, op.cit.; New South Wales Blue Book, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, 1893, p.139; 1894, p.157; NSW Government Gazette, No.158, 28 February 1896, p.1495; Barristers Admission Board; NRS 13665, Roll of Barristers, 15 June 1876 - 1 December 1926; Reel 2147, p.10; New South Wales Law Almanac, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, 1892, p.25; 1896, p.25; 1897, p.39; 1907, pp.50-51; 1909, p.51; 1917, pp.49, 63, 66; 1918, pp.50, 64, 67; 1928, pp.73, 78; 1929, p.73; 'Bar Councillors 1902-2006', New South Wales Bar Association, http://www.nswbar.asn.au/docs/about/history/bclist1902_1910.php, http://www.nswbar.asn.au/docs/about/history/bclist1910_1920.php, http://www.nswbar.asn.au/docs/about/history/bclist1920_1930.php (cited 22 January 2008); Attorney General's Department [III]; NRS 333, Letters received - Special Bundles, 1874-1984; [10/42917] Correspondence re appointment of King's Counsels, 1898-1941; NSW Government Gazette No.91, 13 July 1928, p.3211.
4. NSW Government Gazette No.25, 22 Feb 1929, p.936; No.77, 14 June 1929, p.2457; State Reports New South Wales 1929, Vol.29, Sydney, Law Book Company of Australasia Ltd, 1930.
5. Martha Rutledge, op.cit; Renato Perdon, Sydney's Aldermen: a biographical register of Sydney City Aldermen, 1842-1992, Sydney, Sydney City Council, 1995, p.96.
6. Martha Rutledge, op.cit.
7. ibid.; Sydney Morning Herald 29 April 1939, pp.10, 13; Australian Law Journal, op.cit.

Notes

Acting Judge, Supreme Court of New South Wales, 18/02/1929 - 09/06/1929
Judge, Supreme Court of New South Wales, 10/06/1929 - 28/04/1939
Alderman of the City of Sydney, 07/12/1900 - 31/12/1927