Obituary - Anthony ("Tony") Eyres Radford

Tony was educated at Mont Albert Central School, Wesley College and the University of Melbourne. Comparatively few Law students then took a combined-degree course. Tony did, and graduated B A, LL B – and later LL M.

Law School contemporaries never held against him his quiet propriety in attending every lecture and not joining the Card School – and his generosity in sharing his notes with them.

He served Articles at Hedderwicks, Fookes & Alston (now Allens Linklaters); was admitted to practice in March 1966; remained as a Solicitor for nearly a year; then signed the Bar Roll in February 1967. He read with E D (“Woods”) Lloyd (later QC).

He was, through Articles and for some years after that, a Resident Law Tutor at Whitley College (University of Melbourne); he was an Examiner in Torts for the Melbourne Law School (1966-73); and was both a Lecturer and Tutor in the Council of Legal Education RMIT Long Articles course (1971-74). He was later, for some years, an Adjudicator in Melbourne and Monash Law School Moots.

Tony came to practise in Planning and Local Government Law, Property and Valuations, Contracts, Commercial Law, and Common Law. He was always friendly, smiling and collegial; his door was always open, and nothing was too much trouble. He had four Readers.

He served many years on his List Committee, including in the transition from Ken Spurr and the selection of Ross Gordon and Leigh Jackson. He served 10 years as the Bar Representative on the Chief Justice’s Standing Committee on Religious Observances working faithfully on the Opening of the Legal Year Services. He was generous in pro bono work throughout his career; and organised a number of fellow barristers to do so for victims of the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires. He contributed a number of substantial articles to Victorian Bar News.

Tony played cricket at school, University, for the Bar, and in what he described as “suburban” cricket. He played for the Bar from when he signed the Roll into the early 2000s and captained the Bar 2^nd XI. He designed the Bar Cricket tie and was responsible for “the artistic arrangements and organisation” of three splendid Bar Cricket Dinners “with his unique aplomb”. He retired from practice 1 July 2008 – including retirement, a member nearly 52 years and a gentleman.