Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harry Talbot Gibbs was educated at the Ipswich Grammar School and later at Emmanuel College at the University of Queensland. He graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) with honours in 1937 and with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1939.

He was admitted to the Bar in 1939 but his legal career was interrupted by World War II. He served in the Australian Military Forces from 1942 to 1945 and in the Second Australian Imperial Force in Papua New Guinea, attaining the rank of Captain.

While stationed in Papua New Guinea, he developed an interest in its legal system and was awarded a Master of Laws based on his research.

In 1944 he married Muriel Dunn and the couple had three daughters and a son.

Following the war he returned to the practice of law as a Barrister in Queensland and was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1957, while also lecturing in law at the University of Queensland.

On 8 June 1961 Gibbs was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland.  He served on the Queensland Supreme Court until 24 June 1967.

In 1967 Gibbs was appointed to the Federal Court of Bankruptcy and the ACT Supreme Court. 

In 1970, Gibbs joined the High Court of Australia and in 1981 he was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court.

Gibbs left the High Court of Australia in 1987 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 70. He had an international reputation, with Lord Denning stating "I would rank him as one of the greatest of your chief justices, rivalling even Sir Owen Dixon."

Harry Gibbs was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) on 22 September 1970.

In 1972, he was made a Privy Councillor and sat on the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council thirteen times.

On 3 April 1981, he was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG).

In the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1987, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC).

Through his childhood and young adulthood his close friend was Dr Harry Gilmore Wilson. "Home Mag", a collection of illustrations, short stories, poems, serials and puzzles created by Harry Gibbs, Harry Wilson and their siblings and friends as children (1930 to 1933) is held in the rare books collection of the Supreme Court of Queensland Library. Also included is a letter dated 29 January 1945 from Harry Gibbs to Dr Harry Wilson congratulating the latter on his engagement.  Dr Harry Wilson had been best man to Harry Gibbs upon his marriage to Muriel Dunn in 1944.