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Australia's 12th Chief Justice, His Honour Chief Justice Robert French of the High Court of Australia - an alumnus of The University of Western Australia - will give a free public address in Mandurah about a big man who left a big mark on his State and his nation - Sir John Forrest.

Justice French's lecture is one of many special events organised in 2013 to mark UWA's centenary and is part of the UWA Gives Back program, in which University staff and students visit regional WA to acknowledge the important role played by the people of WA in UWA's history.

Justice French AC, CitWA, is the first Chief Justice from WA.  He graduated from UWA in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics then stayed at the University, earning a Bachelor of Laws in 1971.  He was President of the University's Liberal Club and also treasurer of the UWA Student Guild.

His lecture, 'John Forrest - A Founding Father of the Nation, A Favourite Son of the State', is part of the UWA Faculty of Law's centenary celebrations in the Peel region.

The Faculty invites members of the legal profession, teachers, students and members of the public to attend the lecture.  The evening's program also includes Winthrop Professor Peter Handford of the UWA Law School, who will speak on the History of the Law School from 1928 to the Juris Doctor.

Sir John Forrest (1847-1918) was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first Federal Parliament.

As a young man, he won fame as an explorer by leading three expeditions into WA's interior.  After Federation, he moved to Federal politics, where he was postmaster-general, Minister for Defence, Minister for Home Affairs, Treasurer and acting Prime Minister.

Several WA places are named after him, including Glen Forrest, Forrestdale, John Forrest National Park, Forrest Chase, Forrestfield and John Forrest Secondary College in Morley.

WHAT: Free public lecture, 'John Forrest - A Founding Father of the Nation, A Favourite Son of the State'

WHEN: Saturday 7 September, 5.45pm for a 6pm start

WHERE: The Sebel Mandurah, 1 Marco Polo Drive, Mandurah WA

Registration: Free, but please RSVP by Tuesday 3 September.

Media references

Joanne Rooke ( Executive Assistant to the Dean, UWA Faculty of Law)  (+61 8)  6488 2949
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 3229  /  (+61 4) 00 700 783