death_date children nationality birth_date term_end constituency death_place imagesize profession order term_start spouse image name caption predecessor birth_place party office successor article_title
16 january 1914 irene sylvia -lrb- b. 1898 -rrb- united kingdom british 16 july 1851 20 march 1901 greenough swanbourne , western australia , australia 180px barrister 9th 27 october 1897 florie edith fullagar richard william pennefather hofwa.jpg richard william pennefather richard pennefather c. 1897 septimus burt tipperary , county tipperary , ireland independent ministerial attorney-general of western australia william frederick sayer richard pennefather

richard pennefather

richard william pennefather was the 9th attorney-general of western australia , its second since self government .
he served two terms as member of the legislative assembly for greenough ; was acting justice of the wa supreme court -lrb- 1901 -- 1902 -rrb- ; then was elected to the legislative council for north province in 1908 .
he died in office on 16 january 1914 .
early life pennefather was born 16 july 1851 in tipperary , ireland , eldest son of frederick pennefather .
the family moved to melbourne , victoria , where pennefather received private tuition , then attended st patrick 's college , then afterwards melbourne university where in 1878 he gained his ba and llb degrees .
he worked for five years in the crown solicitor 's office , engaged in instructing the crown prosecutors on circuit , then in 1876 was admitted to the victorian bar , where he practiced for 10 years .
in 1880 he was admitted to the nsw bar , where he practiced for two years , before returning to melbourne .
in 1880 he was admitted to the queensland bar but never practiced there .
he was appointed qc in sydney in 1883 .
in all he practiced for fifteen years at the victorian bar .
in march 1896 pennefather went to western australia .
during the period required to establish wa residency for admission to the western australian bar he travelled over the colony particularly to the eastern mining areas , at that time in the rise of a major gold boom .
he returned to perth in november 1896 and was admitted to practice at the end of that year .
political career pennefather was acknowledged as a fluent and eloquent speaker .
at the general elections for the western australian legislative assembly in 1897 , pennefather stood for the greenough constituency as a supporter of the forrest government , winning the seat by a substantial majority .
in october 1897 premier sir john forrest appointed pennefather attorney-general in the cabinet upon the retirement of septimus burt .
he served two terms , from 27 october 1897 to 20 march 1901 .
in 1901 pennefather resigned his legislative assembly seat , was appointed kc and acting-justice of the wa supreme court , during the leave of absence of the chief justice .
in 1902 he returned to practice for three years .
he was elected to the legislative council for north province in 1908 .
he died in office .
personal life pennefather married florie edith fullagar of parramatta , on 7 october 1897 at perth 's roman catholic cathedral .
a daughter , irene sylvia was born in 1898 .
in 1898 he built a substantial residence , now the cottesloe civic centre , at the then northern extent of broome street , cottesloe .
in 1911 he sold the house to claude de bernales , moving to `` oakham '' , 50 shenton road , claremont , now swanbourne .
he died there on 16 jan 1914 after a long illness , hastened by a perth summer heat wave , survived by his wife and daughter .
he was buried at karrakatta cemetery .
in 1970 pennefather street in canberra was named for judge pennefather .
