Norman Alexander Jenkyn

Brief description

PER-70

Full description

Norman Alexander Jenkyn was born on 5 October 1905 at Sydney, the son of Thomas Alexander Storrie Jenkyn and his wife Helen nee Reid. He was educated at Fort Street High School and the University of Sydney (LLB 1927). He was awarded a Public Exhibition scholarship to the University based on his results in the Leaving Certificate examination of November 1922. (1)

Jenkyn was admitted to the New South Wales Bar on 23 February 1928. His chambers were at Chancery Chambers (1929-1937), 170 Phillip Street (1938), 167 Phillip Street (1939-1957) and 180 Phillip Street (1958-1965). He worked in all jurisdictions, as well as before the High Court and the Privy Council. In addition he was Counsel for the Navy in the 'Royal Commission on [the] loss of the HMAS Voyager', which ran from 14 February 1964 to 26 August 1964. He was active in professional development. Made a King's Counsel on 17 December 1947, he was a Council member of the New South Wales Bar Association in 1944/45 to 1945/46 and from 1951/52 to 1954/55, and its Vice-President in 1953/54. He was also a member of the Barristers Admission Board from 1951 to 1952, the Council of Law University Colleges from 1957 to 1975 (chairman 1970 to 1975), and President of the Australian Lawyers' Christian Fellowship from 1965. (2)

Jenkyn was appointed a Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 29 November 1965. Sitting mainly in the Family Law Division, he was described as making a major contribution to the law of matrimonial causes and of the custody of children. He retired on 29 November 1975. (3)

Jenkyn was active in the Anglican Church, at local, Diocesan and national level. He was a member of the Chapter and a Lay Canon at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney, from 1953. He was a member of the Synod of the Sydney Diocese from 1945, on its Standing Committee from 1948, Diocesan Advocate from 1949 to 1967 and Chancellor of the Diocese of Sydney from 1973. As well he was a member of the General Synod of the Church of England in Australia from 1949 and on its Standing Committee from 1963 to 1969, Appellate Tribunal from 1969, and a member of the Board of Assessors of Special Tribunal from 1969 and the Board of Electors of the Primate of Australia from 1969. In 1961 he was instrumental in developing a constitution for the Church of England. (4)

As well, Jenkyn was a councillor of the Royal Empire Society and Royal Commonwealth Society from 1953 to 1969. (5)

Jenkyn died at Sydney on 16 February 1980, survived by his wife Gladys Edeline nee Cousins (known as Edeline), whom he married on 30 December 1931, and one son and two daughters. (6)

Endnotes
1. Who's Who in Australia, Melbourne, The Herald, 1955, p.411; 1959, p.421; 1962, p.451; 1965, pp.451-2; 1968, p.469; 1971, p.522; 1974, p.561; 1977, p.581; NSW marriage certificate 148/1901 Thomas A S Jenkyn and Helen Reid; Australian Law Journal, Vol.54, p.378 (June 1980); University of Sydney Calendar, 1923, pp.497, 685; 1924, pp.544, 721; 1925, pp.543, 728; 1926, pp.544, 726; 1927, p.550; 1928, pp.668, 849, http://calendararchive.usyd.edu.au/index.php (cited 12 May 2008).
2. Barrister and Solicitors Admission Boards; NRS 13665, Roll of Barristers, 17 February 1927 - 10 June 1955; Reel 2147, p.1; New South Wales Law Almanac, Sydney, NSW Government Printer, 1929, p.69; 1938, p.76; 1939, p.76; 1945, p.55; 1946, p.55; 1949, p.66; 1952, pp.46, 57; 1953, pp.48, 61; 1954, p.65; 1955, p.67; 1958, p.82; 1965, p.95; Australian Law Journal, Vol.39, p.291 (30 December 1965); Thomas Robert Frame, Where fate calls: the HMAS Voyager tragedy, PhD thesis, University of New South Wales, 1991, Chapter 5, pp.94-5, http://www.library.unsw.edu.au/~thesis/adt-ADFA/uploads/approved/adt-ADFA20031113.104931/public/06chapter5.pdf (cited 18 November 2008); D H Borchardt, Checklist of Royal Commissions Select Committees of Parliament and Boards of Inquiry, Commonwealth, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and Victoria, 1960-1980 and South Australia, 1970-1980, Bundoora, Borchardt Library, La Trobe University, 1986, pp.28-9.
3. State Reports New South Wales, Sydney, Law Book Company Ltd, Vol.66, (1965-1966), pp.v-vi; New South Wales Law Reports, Sydney, Law Book Company Ltd, 1975, Vol.1; Australian Law Journal, Vol.39, p.291 (30 December 1965); Vol.49, p.642 (November 1975).
4. Who's Who in Australia, op.cit.; Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 1980, p.8.
5. ibid..
6. Sydney Morning Herald, 19 February 1980, pp.8, 23; Who's Who in Australia, op.cit.

Notes

Judge, Supreme Court of New South Wales, 29/11/1965 - 29/11/1975