Sir Ninian Stephen was Governor General of Australia from 1982 until 1989, following a distinguished career as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria (1970–2) and the High Court of Australia (1972–82).
Sir Ninian was born at Nettlebed in Oxfordshire and came to Australia in 1940. He completed his secondary education at Scotch College, Melbourne, before joining the Australian Imperial Force, where he served until 1946. He completed his law degree at the University of Melbourne in 1949, was admitted to the bar in 1952, and was made a Queen’s Counsel in 1966.
After his term as Governor-General Sir Ninian became the first Australian Ambassador for the Environment, and during his 3 year term worked for a ban on mining in Antarctica. In 1991 he was appointed chairman of the second strand of the Northern Ireland peace talks. He then served with the United Nations, as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and as an ad hoc judge of the International Court of Justice.
Sir Ninian was a legal advisor to the South African government during its transition from apartheid, and part of a Commonwealth mission to Bangladesh. He went on to investigate labour conditions in Burma for the UN’s International Labour Organisation. In 1998 he headed an Expert Group on Cambodia investigating the possible trial of former Khmer Rouge leaders. He also served on the Ethics Committee of the International Olympic Committee.
Sir Ninian has been honoured with numerous awards including a knighthood in the Order of Australia in 1982. He received the rare distinction of a knighthood in the Order of the Garter in 1994.
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