Sally Thomas
Encyclopedia
Sally Gordon Thomas AM
(born 7 August 1939) was a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
, Australia
from 1992 - 2009. She was appointed to the Court on 10 August 1992 and was the first female to be appointed a Judge of the Court.
, England
on 7 August 1939, to Geoffrey A and Mary G Thomas.
Her family relocated to Sydney, New South Wales
in 1947. She attended Hornsby Girls' High School
and eventually commenced work as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1963.
in 1978 after she was appointed as a Magistrate
. She was appointed Chief Magistrate
in 1986 and held that position until she was appointed to the Supreme Court bench in 1992. Justice Thomas retired on 6 August 2009.
She was President of the Australian Stipendiary Magistrates Association from 1988 - 1990.
in 2010 for her legal career's achievements.
since 1989 and has been the Northern Territory Chair of the Winston Churchill Fellowship since 1992. She was also Chair of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission from 1990–1996 and was an Honorary Colonel in the Northern Territory Cadet Corp of the Australian Army
from 1993 - 1997. She was also an advisor to the Family Law Council.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 7 August 1939) was a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
Supreme Court of the Northern Territory
The Supreme Court of the Northern Territory is the superior court for the Australian Territory of the Northern Territory. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the territory in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
from 1992 - 2009. She was appointed to the Court on 10 August 1992 and was the first female to be appointed a Judge of the Court.
Early life
Justice Thomas was born in CambridgeCambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on 7 August 1939, to Geoffrey A and Mary G Thomas.
Her family relocated to Sydney, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in 1947. She attended Hornsby Girls' High School
Hornsby Girls' High School
Hornsby Girls' High School is an academically selective, public high school for girls, located in Hornsby, a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Founded in 1930, the school's first principal was Sarah Agnes Angus Brewster....
and eventually commenced work as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1963.
Magistrate and beyond
Justice Thomas and her husband Ted Rowe relocated to DarwinDarwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
in 1978 after she was appointed as a Magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
. She was appointed Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate
Chief Magistrate is a generic designation for a public official whose office—individual or collegial—is the highest in his or her class, in either of the fundamental meanings of Magistrate : as a major political and administrative office , and/or as a judge Chief Magistrate is a generic designation...
in 1986 and held that position until she was appointed to the Supreme Court bench in 1992. Justice Thomas retired on 6 August 2009.
She was President of the Australian Stipendiary Magistrates Association from 1988 - 1990.
Honors
She was nominated Senior Australian of the YearAustralian of the Year
Since 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
in 2010 for her legal career's achievements.
Other interests
Justice Thomas is Patron of a number of organisations. She has been a Member of the Council of the Charles Darwin UniversityCharles Darwin University
Charles Darwin University is an Australian public university with about 20,000 students in 2007.The University offers a wide range of Higher Education degrees and Vocational Education and Training courses with flexible study options, including part-time, external and online.CDU has campuses in the...
since 1989 and has been the Northern Territory Chair of the Winston Churchill Fellowship since 1992. She was also Chair of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission from 1990–1996 and was an Honorary Colonel in the Northern Territory Cadet Corp of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
from 1993 - 1997. She was also an advisor to the Family Law Council.