Sir Charles Lilley

J M Bennett's new biography shows the mercurial figure of Lilley to be one of the giants of colonial Australia, a politician who took on the squatter class and forced democratic reform, earning the enduring, virulent hatred of his opponents; a Chief Justice of brilliant calibre until his one disastrous mistake.

"Sir Charles Lilley has proven a polarising figure, often subject to caricature and ridicule. As Dr Bennett observes, the record of Lilley's formidable achievements has been distorted by adversaries, particularly the mostly hostile press of the time, or overshadowed by some infamous errors of judgment. All of this has to date inhibited a balanced appraisal of his life. Dr Bennett's biography goes a long way towards redressing the imbalance.

The author's narrative reveals a man of accomplishment: newspaper editor, a "founding father" of the legal profession, the first Queen's Counsel in Queensland, reformist politician, Attorney-General, Premier and Chief Justice."

The Hon Paul de Jersey, AC, Chief Justice of Queensland (from the Foreword)