Obituary & Service - Frederick George Albion Beaumont QC

George Beaumont was educated at Auburn Central School, the Swinburne Institute of Technology and the University of Melbourne. He left school before matriculation and went to Swinburne, where he completed Diplomas in Commerce and Management. By sheer determination, knocking on Faculty Members’ doors, he got himself into Law at Melbourne. Studying full-time at the University by day, he put himself through, by lecturing in the Swinburne night program in Accounting and Taxation.

George graduated LL B; served Articles at Blake & Riggall (now Ashurst); and was admitted to practice in March 1968. He worked in the Tax Section at Price Waterhouse. He was an Assistant Examiner in Taxation at Melbourne and a Tutor at the RMIT. He signed the Bar Roll in May 1969 and read with Ken Jenkinson (later QC; then Supreme Court, then Federal Court, Judge). 

He established a general Commercial practice, including bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidations, securities and taxation. He was a fiercely independent advocate and never happier than when opposed to the Taxation Office. He served on Bar Committees: New Barristers, Fees and Law Reform; and for some 4½ years as a Director of Barristers’ Chambers Limited – an active and valuable contributor with his Accountancy knowledge and skills. He had two Readers. He took Silk in 1985. He was accredited by the Bar as a Mediator in August 1995; and under the National Scheme in 2008.

Before universal recognition, he was admitted in every State and Territory; also, in Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Ireland. He appeared in substantial cases in PNG; and is said to have made a substantial contribution to the drafting of the PNG Taxation legislation.

Beyond the Bar, he was, for more than 12 years, on the organising Committee of the Greek Australian Medico Legal Conferences. He was a member of the Victorian Chapter of Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastvin and had properties in Venasque and Margaux.

He was named a Legend of the Bar in August 2003. He was devoted to his family.