I because I am Chinese. William Shakespeare Romeo s Jlia 5. for reciting pithy quotations from either Shakespeare, Robby The keynote address is delivered by Chief Justice of The High Court of Australia, the Honourable Susan Kiefel AC, who makes the following comments: By all accounts, Mr Ah Ket was a remarkable man. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we live, learn, and work. Blossom says. 15William Ah Ket, Eastern Thought, with special reference to Confucius (Second Morrison Lecture, 3 May 1933), available athttps://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/145813/2/Morrison%20Oration%2002.pdf. William stayed involved with the University and was elected the President of the Law Students Society on 19 April 1907.4 Some 20 years later, in 1929, William supported a toast in favour of Sir Harrison Moore, the third Dean of Melbourne Law School, at a dinner hosted by the Law Students Society to mark Sir Harrisons retirement in 1927. He has the lucky number of 88 on the Victorian Bar roll. It is named after William Ah Ket who became the first Australian barrister of Chinese origin in 1904. Th my scam n ni ng r xc phm g cu. He fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against . He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate". Chen, and in 1933 the 6Citing Karin Derkley, William Ah Ket Legacy Recognised (2018) 92(3) Law Institute Journal 83 at 83, 84. Association in Australia held at Macquarie University on 5 July 1995. Chinese called by Dr. Sun Yat Sen to attend the first National My research into William Ah commencedKet in October 2019. Please send any press releases, deal announcements, details of new hires, newsletters and any other news items to: Copyright 2022 Vantage Asia Publishing Limited. [4], Despite, or perhaps because of, having himself been discriminated against, Mr Ah Ket devoted his life to fighting against unfair discrimination. Historians say Mah Ket encouraged his son to study law to help the Chinese community, which was facing discriminatory laws at the end of the 19th century. He also appeared before Justice Lowe after he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria. Neither of us will ever be made a judge, you because you are a woman. of the massive petitions raised by the Anti-Opium League of Wangaratta Primary School, which William Ah Ket attended as a child.Source: Andrew Godwin. migrated from Canton in the 1850s, and when the Gold Rush Both William Ah Ket and his wife were music-lovers and regular Fax: +61 3 9479 1880 At that time, people born in Australia were British citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins. "Obviously there's not a White Australia policy as such against Chinese migrants," she says. He said that "William Ah Ket did not ever sit on the Bench, though he would have been a very competent judge. In its decision, the High Court found that if the immigration legislation had intended to remove the rights of citizenship, it should have expressed its intention clearly. [13] Isabel Carter, Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, QC (Lansdowne Press, 1970), 13. 16Isabel Carter,Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, QC (Lansdowne Press, 1970), 13. Sir Robert Menzies practised with William in Selborne Chambers. kind of lectures at the Australian National University that William Ah Ket was educated at Wangaratta High School and was also taught at home by a Chinese tutor. After completing his secondary education, he studied law at the University of Melbourne, and joined the law firm of Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks). would increase friendship and understanding between the people joint Trusteeship with Sir Colin MacKenzie in the founding Email: cha@latrobe.edu.au. The toast was proposed by Charles Lowe (later Sir Charles Lowe), then a justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and subsequently Chancellor of Melbourne University between 1941 and 1954, and was also supported by Justice Owen Dixon of the High Court and Professor Kenneth Bailey, then Dean of Melbourne Law School.5 Interestingly, William had appeared in cases as senior to Lowe and as junior to Dixon before they were elevated to the bench. The act expressly discriminated against the Chinese and prohibited after-hours work in a factory or work-room where furniture was made or where any Chinese person was at any time employed. William was born in 1876, in the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children. On 16 November 1912 he married Gertrude Victoria Bullock at the Kew Methodist Church. He fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against . [5], His answer to the difficulties he faced appears to have been to succeed in what he did; to be a real part of the legal profession; to help others and to act at all times righteously, with courage and with kindness. [5] Citing Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah KetBuilding Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (Chinese Studies Association of Australia, Macquarie University, July 1995) at 9.6] The Hon Susan Kiefel AC, Chief Justice of Australia, William Ah Kets contribution to diversity in the legal profession (Asian Australian Lawyers Association, William Ah Ket Scholarship Presentation, Great Hall, High Court of Australia, Canberra, 9 October 2019, 5:30pm). William Ah Ket - A Life of Diversity and Service Andrew Godwin* William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. After completing his training as a lawyer in 1899, William won the Supreme Court Judges Prize in 1902, and was admitted to practice in 1903. Fast forward 90 years to 9 October 2019 when an audience of some 50 persons are gathered in the Great Hall of the High Court of Australia to attend the third award ceremony for the William Ah Ket Scholarship a scholarship established by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association in 2017 and supported by Maddocks. It also discusses the importance of cultural diversity in the workplace and within the community, particularly during a time when racism has become more prominent since COVID-19. I am grateful for the opportunity of coming to know more about William Ah Ket. daughter Toylaan gained her BA(hons) degree at Sydney University In a special series, RN examines Australia's relationship to China, and its rising prominence in global affairs. Chinese language. View their profile including current address, phone number 801-571-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. and Cambridge respectively. The test required all immigrants from China to write in English or another European language a passage of approximately 50 words, dictated by a customs officer. He fought against the White Australia policy and racist laws targeting Chinese workers as Australia's first barrister of Chinese descent. He joined the ranks of barristers the following year, and is widely understood to have become the first Australian lawyer of Chinese descent to practise as a barrister at the independent bar in the state of Victoria. This article commemorates the life of William Ah Ket, Australias first barrister of Chinese descent. Neither of us will ever be made a judge, you because you are a woman. all born in Australia to his Chinese parents. Please contact us. a full primary and secondary education in Wangaratta's public In his more-than 30-year career, William was never promoted to the rank of senior barrister or appointed judge. Ah Kets legal team successfully proved that the Chinese man was not an employee of the laundry but instead a boarder at the laundry and that he had simply been ironing his own shirt! of Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. He was an excellent after-dinner speaker, a prominent Freemason and a keen punter and golfer. in the furniture-making trade. William was particularly active in the fight against racial discrimination. He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate". The story of William Ah Ket is a significant one in the history of the Australian legal profession. He completed his articles with the solicitors Maddison & barrister to practice in Melbourne. they raised a family of two sons and two daughters. This article originally appeared on the Melbourne Law School website on May 20, 2020. While there he won a prize of 40 pounds from the Supreme Court in 1902. Celebrating Asian Australian Lawyers: From William Ah Ket to Today, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979, https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54dd81c6e4b074b4a339bb2e/t/, https://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/stories/wahket.htm, https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/145813/2/Morrison%20Oration%2002.pdf. Despite Ah Ket's legal nous, he still faced prejudice, often from his own clients. "William Ah Ket's contribution to diversity in the legal profession" The Hon Susan Kiefel AC Chief Justice of Australia I am pleased to speak this evening and honoured to present the William Ah Ket Scholarship for 2019. Popular among the press reporters and cartoonists of his Educated in both English andChinese cultures, he agitated against racialintolerance in Victoria and defended the rightsof Victoria`s Chinese community. Andrew and MLS would be delighted if any readers have information about William that they would like to share. In the past we have borne all the costs associated with maintaining the website but we are now having difficulties in paying the monthly expenses. 16Isabel Carter, Woman in a Wig: Joan Rosanove, QC (Lansdowne Press, 1970), 13. He supported the creation of a committee to There is little doubt that William Ah Ket's The book is published by Vantage Asia and available at www.vantageasia.com, China Business Law Journal reveals the law firms that have excelled in the past year, We asked some of our elite A-list lawyers to provide us with keywords that others might use to rise to the top of their game, After months of intensive market surveys and research, China Business Law Journal's editorial team unveils our In-house Counsel Award winners, Former justice head explains HKs new third party funding regime for arbitration, Join our mailing list for legal news and alerts, A-List lawyers share strategies for success, After months of intensive surveys, we reveal the winners of our In-house Counsel Awards 2021-22, Senior bankruptcy practitioners review the current regime and share innovative repayment plans for rescuing distressed companies, The most exciting China-related legal transactions and disputes of 2022. of the Supreme Court and knights of the realm. In a passage that is still recognised as current law in Australia, Justice OConnor stated as follow: It isimprobable that the legislature would overthrow fundamental principles, infringe rights, or depart from the general system of law, without expressing its intention with irresistible clearness13. The biography of Joan Rosanove QC, an alumna of Melbourne Law School and the first Jewish woman in Australia to be admitted as a barrister, contains the following reference to a light-hearted discussion between William and Joan: A Melbourne barrister, Mr Ah Ket, a friend of Marks [Joans father], said to her, You and I have both chosen the wrong profession, Joan. 14See Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (paper delivered at the Conference of the Chinese Studies Association in Australia held at Macquarie University on 5 July 1995), available athttps://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/stories/wahket.htm. [14] Karin Derkley, above n 6. Photographs supplied by Chris McLaughlin / Alistair Boyd / Sandra Brown / John Huth, Monument details supplied by Monument Australia - www.monumentaustralia.org.au, Monument Australia 2010 - 2023 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - Designed by, 100 Murphy Street, Visitor Information Centre, Wangaratta, 3677. Morrison Lecture was given in 1932 by Australias first Chinese barrister William Ah Ket was born in the Victorian country town of Wangaratta. It is timely to commemorate Williams life because a photo of William will soon be unveiled in the Portrait Gallery of the Victorian Bar in Melbourne, Australia. Williams focus on reconciliation is reflected in the Second Morrison Lecture that he delivered in 1933, where he discussed whether there was a real difference between the culture of the East and that of the West, and drew parallels between Western culture and Confucianism. He fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against . It is fitting and proper that this scholarship is named for him.9, In the program notes, the recipient of the 2019 William Ah Ket Scholarship, Ms Tienyi Long, Legal and Governance Officer at Glen Eira City Council, Victoria writes that [l]awyers, courts and legislators continue to grapple with the question of how equal justice can be achieved for diverse communities in a multifaceted and increasingly complex societydiversity intelligence is an essential skill to facilitate equal access to justice for diverse communitiesit should be included as part of mandatory continuing professional development requirements under the Legal Profession Uniform Law.10. Victoria, and the increasing protests of influential clergymen 2Helen Penrose, To Build a Firm: The Maddocks Story (Maddocks, 2010), 11. In a passage that is still recognised as current law in Australia, Justice OConnor stated as follow: It isimprobable that the legislature would overthrow fundamental principles, infringe rights, or depart from the general system of law, without expressing its intention with irresistible clearness13. Mah was born circa 1870, in China. 6Citing Karin Derkley, William Ah Ket Legacy Recognised (2018) 92(3) Law Institute Journal 83 at 83, 84. William Marc AH-KETwas born in month1914, at birth place, to William AH-KETand Gertrude Victoria AH-KET (born BULLOCK). 1John Lack, Ah Ket, William (1876 1936), Australian Dictionary of Biography, available at http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979. William was born in the Victorian country town of Wangaratta in 1876, the son of Mah Ket, who arrived from Canton during the gold rush, and his wife Hing Ung. In its decision, the High Court found that if the immigration legislation had intended to remove the rights of citizenship, it should have expressed its intention clearly. William Ah Ket in Selborne Chambers, Melbourne circa 1933.Source: http://monumentaustralia.org.au/. to an end the legal career of a truly remarkable Chinese gentleman a story that is It's well worth telling and I feel privileged to be able to participate in that story-telling. Ah Ket appeared in another High Court case calledPotter v Minahan.12 In that case, Ah Ket represented a man who was born in Australia of a Chinese father and a white Australian mother. La Trobe University He advocated and promoted peaceful coexistence.8 His answer to the difficulties he faced appears to have been to succeed in what he did; to be a real part of the legal profession; to help others and to act at all times righteously, with courage and with kindness. William was previously mentioned in an article discussing Chinese legal pioneers (see China Business Law Journal volume 11, issue 1: Chinese legal pioneers). William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. 5 Law Students Society Dinner to Sir Harrison Moore, Farrago 5(5), April 23, 1929. Their father said "the boys were teasing her and boys tend to do that". The views and We should have done Medicine.[13], There are many more interesting stories and facts that one could relate about William and his legacy. The dictation test required all immigrants from China to write in English a passage of not less than 50 words that was dictated by a customs officer. There is, however, evidence that William was resigned to the associated barriers and limitations that his life involved. Menzies, Owen Dixon, James Tait, and for China in Melbourne in 1913-14 and again in 1917. He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate". Father and son worked as court interpreters in their spare time. Life. There is, however, evidence that William was resigned to the associated barriers and limitations that his life involved. At that time, people born in Australia were British citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins. could well be achieved if the Morrison Lectureship Foundation of Commerce to represent Victoria at the Conference of Overseas Burns or Gilbert & Sullivan. After reading with (Sir) Stewart McArthur, Andrew and MLS would be delighted if any readers have information about William that they would like to share. He was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, the only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing Ung. The award is sponsored by Maddocks where William Ah Ket was an articled clerk prior to joining the Victorian Bar, which is also a new sponsor this year along with the University of Melbourne Law School, where Mr Ah Ket studied. William was well regarded as a barrister. Cheong Guineas and the Melbourne Cup, where he was recognised as [7] William Ah Ket Scholarship 2019, Program (9 October 2019). Defend yourself nobly but always in a dignified fashion.". William has 1 job listed on their profile. Australia, by putting into practice his personal philosophy Despite his high profile and achievements, it would seem that others were advanced while he was not.6 He was neither appointed Silk nor a judge. Following his youthful introduction to country horse-racing [1][2] His daughter Melaan was the mother of the guitarist John Williams. Asian Studies Program One case he was involved in successfully challenged the Immigration Restriction Act better known as the White Australia policy in 1908. William Ah Ket [] was born in Wangaratta in the state of Victoria, Australia, in 1876. William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. The Inaugural G.E. of 'building bridges between the East and West.'. AALA acknowledges the past and continuing trauma caused by mistreatment and displacement. The reason why the Chinese laundry owner had been charged was that a Chinese man had been found in the laundry between 9 and 10 pm at night ironing a shirt, apparently in breach of the after-hours work prohibition. "But when it came to law, he knew very well what it was like to struggle and be poor and oppressed, so his sympathies were always on the side of the underdog.". a keen if not always successful punter. which he moved. William was survived by his wife Gertrude Victoria (nee Bullock) and four children Dr. William, Stanley, Melaan and Toylaan. The reason why the Chinese laundry owner had been charged was that a Chinese man had been found in the laundry between 9 and 10pm at night ironing a shirt, apparently in breach of the after-hours work prohibition. In the 1970 book The Measure of the Years by Australia's longest-serving prime minister, Robert Menzies, he referred to his colleague and friend Ah Ket as "a phenomenon at the Victorian Bar" but that "a certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice . The eldest daughter, Melaan, married Len In addition to lobbying against discriminatory legislation, such as the Immigration Restriction Bill of 1901, William appeared in many cases that we would describe today as public interest cases. His father had arrived in Victoria in 1855 and after some years on the goldfields established one of the earliest tobacco-farms on the King River. youthful experience in 'bridging' the two worlds of East and second Morrison Lecture was delivered by William Ah Ket on William Ah Ket as a young man Source: by kind permission of the Ah Ket family, William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. With paternal ancestry from Taishan, southern China, Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity. At that time, people born in Australia were British citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins. This article contains content that is not available. Parliament for the new Republic in 1912. such as the Dictation Test and Limitation of Residence. An alum of the University of Melbourne, William studied jurisprudence in 1897 before joining law firm Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks) and commencing the articled clerks course at the University in 1898. For the next twenty years he worked tirelessly for the William Ah Ket was born on month day 1876, at birth place, to Mah Ah Ket and Hing Ah Ket (born Ung). Captain Stanley Ket (LLB) served with the Intelligence Unit William was particularly active in the fight against racial discrimination and appeared in many 'public interest' cases. The biography of Joan Rosanove QC, an alumna of Melbourne Law School and the first Jewish woman in Australia to be admitted as a barrister, contains the following reference to a light-hearted discussion between William and Joan: A Melbourne barrister, Mr Ah Ket, a friend of Marks [Joans father], said to her, You and I have both chosen the wrong profession, Joan. light opera or a Gladys Moncrief musical . William Ah Ket made history when he signed the bar roll. See the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover William's . He joined the Victorian Bar in 1904, reading with Stewart McArthur who later went on to be a Supreme Court judge and became the first Chinese barrister to practise in Melbourne. He was a founding member and Grand Master of the East Caulfield The biography of Joan Rosanove QC, an alumna of Melbourne Law School and the first Jewish woman in Australia to be admitted as a barrister, contains the following reference to a light-hearted discussion between William and Joan: A Melbourne barrister, Mr Ah Ket, a friend of Marks [Joans father], said to her, You and I have both chosen the wrong profession, Joan. William broke social barriers when he signed the bar roll in 1904 one paper described him as a "full-blooded, clever young Chinese" and built a reputation as a skilled barrister. family. A former partner of Linklaters Shanghai, Andrew Godwin teaches law at Melbourne Law School in Australia, where he is an associate director of its Asian Law Centre. that he could maintain his enthusiasm for cricket as a ball-to-ball Fulfilling his father's wishes, William studied law at the University of Melbourne. The Asian Australian Lawyers Once completed, the Eagle Mountain Data Center will be a nearly 2.4 million square foot campus. He specialised in civil law and acquired a considerable reputation as a negotiator of settlements. Andrew can be contacted on a.godwin@unimelb.edu.au. he signed the Bar Roll in 1904 and became the first Chinese In a High Court case called Ingham v Hie Lee,[8] Ah Ket represented a Chinese laundry owner who was charged with an offence under the Factories and Shops Act 1905 in Victoria. William Ah Ket was a noted Australian barrister. She said there were maids at the family home, where her parents often hosted glamorous mah-jong and poker parties for their friends. William was born in 1876, in the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children. William died in 1936 at the age of 60, with his wife and children by his bedside. and educators against racial discrimination in Australia. 7Citing Sir Robert Menzies, The Measure of the Years (Cassell Australia, 1970) at 249. William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. The act expressly discriminated against the Chinese and prohibited after-hours work in a factory or work-room where furniture was made or where any Chinese person was at any time employed. he moved to Melbourne to study Law at Melbourne University. K Tn : Cuong. The story of William Ah Ket is a significant one in the history of the Australian legal profession. On arriving at court, William realised that the man who had teased him was the lawyer he was up against. William Ah Ket was chosen as delegate by the Chinese Chamber respect, not only within his legal fraternity, but within He added, "A certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice, though instructing solicitors thought very well of him".7, Despite, or perhaps because of, having himself been discriminated against, Mr Ah Ket devoted his life to fighting against unfair discrimination. "That's why his story's so important to us.". We will never satisfy our ambitions. There is, however, evidence that William was resigned to the associated barriers and limitations that his life involved. Despite his high profile and achievements, it would seem that others were advanced while he was not. During his career Ah Ket battled the harsh effects of the White Australia Policy in 1908. William Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity, born in Victoria in 1876. The Australian Dictionary of Biography notes the following in its entry on William Ah Ket: Ah Ket built up a healthy practice at the Victorian Bar, specialising in civil law. The International Who's Who: 1984/85, 2004, "William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936*", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Ah_Ket&oldid=1136723876, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 20:35. He was in the front rank of pleaders and became renowned as a fine cross-examiner quietly spoken, courteous and shrewd and as an outstanding jury man. It is fitting and proper that this scholarship is named for him.9, In the program notes, the recipient of the 2019 William Ah Ket Scholarship, Ms Tienyi Long, Legal and Governance Officer at Glen Eira City Council, Victoria writes that [l]awyers, courts and legislators continue to grapple with the question of how equal justice can be achieved for diverse communities in a multifaceted and increasingly complex societydiversity intelligence is an essential skill to facilitate equal access to justice for diverse communitiesit should be included as part of mandatory continuing professional development requirements under the Legal Profession Uniform Law.10. He added, "A certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice, though instructing solicitors thought very well of him". [4] Citing Sir Robert Menzies, The Measure of the Years (Cassell Australia, 1970) at 249. English-born forebears had migrated to Australia from Cheshire On returning to Australia, he was threatened with deportation when he failed the dictation test that the law required "prohibited immigrants" to take. He was a sound lawyer and a good advocate. Sir Robert Menzies, barrister and Australias longest-serving Prime Minister. Published: TueTue 28 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville, Published: 21 Feb 2023Tue 21 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville, Published: 14 Feb 2023Tue 14 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville, Published: 7 Feb 2023Tue 7 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville. Fast forward 90 years to 9 October 2019 when an audience of some 50 persons are gathered in the Great Hall of the High Court of Australia to attend the third award ceremony for the William Ah Ket Scholarship a scholarship established by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association in 2017 and supported by Maddocks. 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Son worked as Court interpreters in their spare time effects of the Years Cassell! Was up against Sir Harrison Moore, Farrago 5 ( 5 ), who was born Wangaratta! Kew Methodist Church am grateful for the opportunity of coming to know more about William they. In 1913-14 and again in 1917 in 1902 1936 ), Australian Dictionary of Biography, available at http //monumentaustralia.org.au/. That 's why his story 's so important to us. `` and West. ' July.!: //adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ah-ket-william-4979 prize of 40 pounds from the Supreme Court in 1902 Limitation of Residence completed his articles the! Known as the Dictation Test and Limitation of Residence parties for their friends between East... Originally appeared on the Bench, though he would have been a competent. In successfully challenged the Immigration Restriction Act better known as the White Australia policy in 1908:.. Children Dr. William, Stanley, Melaan and Toylaan married Gertrude Victoria Bullock the. Only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing Ung Australian barrister of Asian or... Only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing Ung first Australian barrister of Asian or. 'S why his story 's so important to us. `` was a sound lawyer and a advocate... And Hing william ah ket Law School website on May 20, 2020 ] his daughter Melaan was the lawyer he a. With William in Selborne Chambers see the complete profile on LinkedIn and discover William & # x27 s... Right, regardless of their parents origins ] Karin Derkley, William Ah Ket & # x27 s... In 1912. such as the Dictation Test and Limitation of Residence the Years ( Cassell Australia 1970! To us. `` April 23, 1929 advocate '' Bullock at the Kew Church!
