Maurice McCrae Blackburn (19 November 1880 – 31 March 1944) was an Australian politician and socialist lawyer, noted for his protection of the interests of workers and the establishment of the legal firm known as Maurice Blackburn Lawyers.
Early life
Blackburn was born on 19 November 1880 in Inglewood, Victoria. He was the son of Thomasann Cole (née McCrae) and Maurice Blackburn. His father, a bank manager, was the son of architect James Blackburn.
Following the death of his father in 1887, Blackburn and his mother moved to Melbourne where he was educated at Melbourne Grammar School, matriculating in 1896. He attended the University of Melbourne, graduating in arts and law in 1909, and began to practise as a lawyer a year later. In the same year, he also became a member of the Victorian Socialist Party and was soon editing its newspaper, The Socialist. Later, in about 1908, he joined the Australian Labor Party.
Legal career
Blackburn established the firm Maurice Blackburn & Co. in 1919, dealing primarily in trade union law and civil liberties cases.[1]