Street family

The Street family is an Australian dynasty whose public prominence is rooted in New South Wales law, politics, military service and civic life. Its central institutional legacy is the succession of three generations who served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales: Sir Philip Whistler Street, his son Sir Kenneth Whistler Street, and his grandson Sir Laurence Whistler Street. This sequence made the family unusually prominent in the constitutional and judicial history of the state. The family’s Australian origins are associated with John Rendell Street, an elected politician in New South Wales during the nineteenth century. John Street represented East Sydney in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was involved in commercial and civic institutions. In 1886 he helped establish the Perpetual Trustee Company with Edmund Barton and James Fairfax. He also served as a director of the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Company. Through marriage, the family was connected to other notable Australian political, legal and colonial families, including the Lawson family. John Street’s son Sir Philip Whistler Street became a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1907 and was appointed Chief Justice in 1925. He also held the office of Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales and administered the state on several occasions when the governor was absent. His judicial career linked the family directly to the state’s highest court. One of his sons, Lieutenant Laurence Whistler Street, was killed at Gallipoli in 1915 while serving with the First Australian Imperial Force during the First World War. Another son, Sir Kenneth Whistler Street, entered the same court and later succeeded his father as Chief Justice. Their service resulted in what has been described as the only known instance in Australian history of a father and son sitting together as judges on the same Supreme Court bench. Sir Kenneth’s wife, Jessie Mary Grey, Lady Street, added an important international and reformist dimension to the family’s public identity. Known in the press as “Red Jessie,” she was a suffragist, diplomat and advocate for Indigenous Australian rights. She represented Australia at the founding of the United Nations in 1945, became the first Australian delegate to that body, and served as the first Vice President of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Her advocacy contributed to the inclusion of sex as a non-discrimination category in the United Nations Charter. She later supported campaigns connected with women’s rights, human rights and the removal of constitutional discrimination against Aboriginal Australians. The wider family also produced military officers and federal politicians. Brigadier Geoffrey Austin Street, a cousin of Sir Kenneth, served at Gallipoli and in France during the First World War, received the Military Cross, and later entered federal politics. He became Minister for Defence in the first Menzies government and died in the 1940 Canberra air disaster. His son Anthony “Tony” Street succeeded him as the member for Corangamite and later served as Australia’s Foreign Minister. Sir Laurence Whistler Street, the third judicial generation, became Chief Justice and Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales in 1974. After leaving the bench, he worked as a mediator and held corporate directorships, including the chairmanship of Fairfax Media. Other descendants pursued judicial, naval, academic, medical, business and legal careers. The family’s continuing significance is therefore less a commercial brand than a historical example of intergenerational public service and elite professional networks in Australia.

The Street family’s Australian story begins with John Rendell Street, who lived from 1832 to 1891 and served as a politician in New South Wales. His parents had emigrated from England to Australia aboard the Thalia in 1822. John represented East Sydney in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and participated in the development of commercial and trustee institutions. In 1886 he helped establish the Perpetual Trustee Company alongside Edmund Barton and James Fairfax, and he was also associated with the Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Company. His marriage to Susanna Lawson connected the family with the Lawson family, whose members were linked to early colonial exploration and public life. The family’s strongest institutional association emerged through John’s son, Sir Philip Whistler Street. Philip joined the Supreme Court of New South Wales as a full judge in 1907 and became its Chief Justice in 1925. He also served as Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales. During periods when the governor was absent, he administered the state, including intervals in the 1930s. His tenure established the family’s enduring association with the state’s highest judicial and viceregal offices. Philip died in 1938 and received a state funeral. Philip’s sons represented different forms of public service. Lieutenant Laurence Whistler Street enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force in 1914 and served as an officer in the 3rd Battalion. He was killed at Gallipoli in May 1915 at the age of 21. His brother Sir Kenneth Whistler Street served in the First World War before entering the judiciary. He was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1931, while his father was still Chief Justice. Their simultaneous service on the bench is regarded as an exceptional episode in Australian judicial history. Kenneth became Chief Justice in 1950 and remained Lieutenant-Governor of New South Wales until his death in 1972. He was buried after a state funeral at St Andrew’s Cathedral in Sydney. Kenneth’s wife, Jessie Mary Grey, Lady Street, was a major public figure in her own right. A suffragist, diplomat and human-rights campaigner, she represented Australia at the establishment of the United Nations in 1945. She became Australia’s first female delegate to the organization and the first Vice President of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. Her work helped support the recognition of sex-based discrimination in the United Nations Charter. She also campaigned for Indigenous Australian rights and for broader constitutional and social reform. Her legacy is commemorated by institutions and public places including the Jessie Street Trust, the Jessie Street National Women’s Library, the Jessie Street Centre and Jessie Street Gardens. A collateral branch of the family was represented by Brigadier Geoffrey Austin Street. After military service at Gallipoli and in France during the First World War, where he received the Military Cross, Geoffrey entered federal politics in 1934. He became Minister for Defence in 1938 and worked on military expansion, munitions and national registration during the approach to the Second World War. He died in the 1940 Canberra air disaster with other senior government and military figures. His son Anthony Austin Street later represented Corangamite and became Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Fraser government, as well as holding industrial-relations and employment portfolios. The third successive judicial generation was Sir Laurence Whistler Street, son of Sir Kenneth. Laurence served in the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War, later commanded in the naval reserve, and became the fourteenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Lieutenant-Governor of the state in 1974. He was notably young for those offices. After retiring from the court, he worked as a mediator and participated in corporate governance, including as chairman of Fairfax Media and as a director of Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena. He died in 2018 and received a state funeral at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. Later members of the family continued in law, public administration, business and academia. Laurence’s children included federal judges and naval officers, while his daughter Sylvia married federal judge and Roman-law scholar Arthur Emmett. Their son James Emmett became a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. Other descendants pursued careers in business, finance and law. The family is consequently remembered as a network of related public figures whose influence extended across several generations, rather than as an incorporated organization or commercial brand.

• 1980

  Tony Street becomes Foreign Minister

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Anthony Austin Street served as Australia’s Foreign Minister in the Fourth Fraser Ministry from 1980 to 1983.

• 1974

  Laurence Street becomes Chief Justice

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Sir Laurence Whistler Street became the fourteenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and Lieutenant-Governor of the state.

• 1966

  Tony Street succeeds his father in Parliament

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Anthony Austin Street succeeded Geoffrey Street as member for Corangamite.

• 1950

  Kenneth Street becomes Chief Justice

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Sir Kenneth Whistler Street was sworn in as the tenth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

• 1945

  Jessie Street represents Australia at the United Nations founding

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Jessie Mary Grey, Lady Street, represented Australia at the founding of the United Nations and became its first Australian delegate.

• 1940

  Geoffrey Street dies in the Canberra air disaster

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Geoffrey Street was killed in the Canberra air disaster while serving as Minister for Defence.

• 1938

  Geoffrey Street becomes Minister for Defence

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Geoffrey Street joined the first Menzies government as Minister for Defence.

• 1934

  Geoffrey Street enters federal politics

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Brigadier Geoffrey Austin Street won the federal seat of Corangamite.

• 1931

  Kenneth Street appointed to the Supreme Court

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Sir Kenneth Whistler Street joined the Supreme Court while his father was still serving on the bench.

• 1925

  Philip Street becomes Chief Justice

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Sir Philip Whistler Street became the eighth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

• 1915

  Laurence Street killed at Gallipoli

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Lieutenant Laurence Whistler Street was killed while serving with the First Australian Imperial Force during the Gallipoli campaign.

• 1907

  Philip Street joins the Supreme Court

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  Sir Philip Whistler Street became a full judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

• 1886

  Perpetual Trustee Company established

  [1]Street familyen.wikipedia.org

  John Rendell Street helped establish the Perpetual Trustee Company with Edmund Barton and James Fairfax.

A historical Australian family dynasty rather than a commercial product or consumer brand.

• 1967Advocacy for Indigenous Australian rights

  Australia

  Jessie Street was involved in long-running human-rights and Indigenous-rights advocacy connected with efforts to remove constitutional discrimination against Aboriginal Australians.

  Source
• 1945Jessie Street’s United Nations and women’s-rights advocacy

  Australia · International

  Jessie Mary Grey, Lady Street, represented Australia at the founding of the United Nations and advocated for women’s equality and the inclusion of sex among the charter’s non-discrimination protections.

  Outcome. She became the first Australian delegate to the United Nations and the first Vice President of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

  Source

1. 1Street familyen.wikipedia.org