Marjorie Smart Lecture 2005

The Marjorie Smart Memorial Lecture 2005 was delivered at 8pm on Wednesday 5 October
by Sir James Gobbo, Former Supreme Court Judge and Governor of Victoria
on “Multicultural Australia, a personal journey”.

Multicultural Australia, a personal journey

The Hon. Sir James Gobbo, this year’s Marjorie Smart Fellow, spoke of his own personal journey through an evolving Australian society.

Born in Italy, Sir James moved to Australia twice when he was younger, the second time for good. In his address, he recounted how his background had been a source of discomfort for him for many years, but how in the end he grew proud of his heritage. In the light of his achievements, his Italian immigrant heritage has not held him back in any way.

While the address focused on Sir James’ life and experiences as part of a multicultural Australia, he also outlined some timely views on the state of immigration policies in Australia today.

Parallels can be drawn here between the sometimes racist experiences which Sir James experienced as a child, and the current wave of Islamophobia, which is slowly gripping the West.

Andrew Fisken, Arts/Law - 2

About The Hon. Sir James Gobbo
The 2005 Marjorie Smart Fellow

Sir James Gobbo’s parents migrated to Australia from Italy in 1928; after James was born they returned to Italy, where he spent his early childhood.

His family returned to Australia in 1938 when he was aged seven. He was educated first at Xavier College and then the University of Melbourne where he resided in Newman College.

In 1952, he won a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford, where he was President of the Oxford University Boat Club, rowing in the crew which won the 100th Oxford-Cambridge Boatrace.

Sir James has maintained a long interest in Italian Community affairs in Australia,

as reflected in his former Presidency of Co.As.It. (Italian Assistance Organisation), the largest migrant welfare organisation of its kind in Australia.

Since 1975, Sir James has served on various advisory bodies to the Federal Government in connection with Immigration and Refugee Affairs. He was the Founding Chairman of the Australian Council of Multicultural Affairs and was Founding Chairman of the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

Sir James was a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1978 until 1994. In 1997, Sir James was appointed Governor of Victoria. His term concluded on 31st December 2000. Following this, he was appointed Victorian Commissioner for Italy.