Christian Jollie Smith
Encyclopedia
Christian Brynhild Ochiltree Jollie Smith (15 March 1885 - 14 January 1963), was a socialist lawyer and co-founder of the Communist Party of Australia
notable for her work representing striking miners, underprivileged tenants during the great depression
and briefing legal council for the successful High Court challenges to the attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia and the Communist Party dissolution Act.
Born at Parkville
, Melbourne, daughter of Scottish-born Thomas Jollie Smith and his Victorian wife Jessie Ochiltree. Brought up at Naracoorte, South Australia, where her father was Presbyterian minister. She was educated in Adelaide, and at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
, in 1904. Christian studied law at the University of Melbourne
(LL.B., 1911) and was introduced to socialism by her friend Guido Baracchi. She belonged to a group of left-wing intellectuals including William Earsman, Louis Esson and his wife Hilda, and Katharine Susannah Prichard
, and was active in the anti-conscription campaigns of World War I
.
Jollie Smith worked as a solicitor, from 1914 onwards but chose a number of diverse career paths including journalism for her socialist political cause and teaching.
Early in 1918 Jollie Smith was the first woman taxi-driver in Melbourne, under the trade name 'Pamela Brown'. In 1919 she taught English literature at Melbourne High, Brighton Grammar
schools and the Labor College of New South Wales, Sydney. In December 1920 she became a foundation committee-member of the Communist Party of Australia and published the Sydney based Australian Communist from 1920-21.
Christian Jollie Smith became the second woman to be admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales on 30 October 1924. She established her own practice dealing chiefly with political and industrial cases. During the attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia she briefed Albert Piddington
and Maurice Blackburn who won appeals in the High Court of Australia against charges that he was a prohibited immigrant.
In 1951 Jollie Smith briefed Herbert Evatt who successfully challenged the validity of the Act outlawing the Communist Party.
Jollie Smith never married. She died at North Sydney and was cremated with Presbyterian forms. The Australian Communist Newspaper Tribune acknowledged her as one of the 'most devoted fighters in the intellectual and professional fields' on behalf of the working class.
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
notable for her work representing striking miners, underprivileged tenants during the great depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and briefing legal council for the successful High Court challenges to the attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia and the Communist Party dissolution Act.
Born at Parkville
Parkville, Victoria
Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980....
, Melbourne, daughter of Scottish-born Thomas Jollie Smith and his Victorian wife Jessie Ochiltree. Brought up at Naracoorte, South Australia, where her father was Presbyterian minister. She was educated in Adelaide, and at Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne , is an independent,private, Presbyterian, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, located in Burwood, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, in 1904. Christian studied law at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
(LL.B., 1911) and was introduced to socialism by her friend Guido Baracchi. She belonged to a group of left-wing intellectuals including William Earsman, Louis Esson and his wife Hilda, and Katharine Susannah Prichard
Katharine Susannah Prichard
Katharine Susannah Prichard was an Australian author and co-founding member of the Communist Party of Australia.-Biography:...
, and was active in the anti-conscription campaigns of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Jollie Smith worked as a solicitor, from 1914 onwards but chose a number of diverse career paths including journalism for her socialist political cause and teaching.
Early in 1918 Jollie Smith was the first woman taxi-driver in Melbourne, under the trade name 'Pamela Brown'. In 1919 she taught English literature at Melbourne High, Brighton Grammar
Brighton Grammar School
Brighton Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day school for boys, located in Brighton, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
schools and the Labor College of New South Wales, Sydney. In December 1920 she became a foundation committee-member of the Communist Party of Australia and published the Sydney based Australian Communist from 1920-21.
Christian Jollie Smith became the second woman to be admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales on 30 October 1924. She established her own practice dealing chiefly with political and industrial cases. During the attempted exclusion of Egon Kisch from Australia she briefed Albert Piddington
Albert Piddington
Albert Bathurst Piddington was the shortest serving Justice of the High Court of Australia, never actually sitting at the bench. Appointed on 6 March 1913, he resigned on 5 April after opponents questioned his independence.-Early life:Piddington was born in 1862 in Bathurst, New South Wales...
and Maurice Blackburn who won appeals in the High Court of Australia against charges that he was a prohibited immigrant.
In 1951 Jollie Smith briefed Herbert Evatt who successfully challenged the validity of the Act outlawing the Communist Party.
Jollie Smith never married. She died at North Sydney and was cremated with Presbyterian forms. The Australian Communist Newspaper Tribune acknowledged her as one of the 'most devoted fighters in the intellectual and professional fields' on behalf of the working class.