From the age of thirteen Chester Porter QC (1926–2021) knew he wanted to be a barrister. After completing school, he moved straight on to a law degree at the University of Sydney; he was 21 when he was admitted to the Bar in New South Wales in 1948. His big break came in 1951 when he acted as a junior to John Wentworth (Jack) Shand QC before a royal commission into the case of Frederick McDermott, a shearer sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in 1947. Porter was involved in the royal commissions into the 1964 collision between the HMAS Melbourne and Voyager, and Lindy Chamberlain's 1982 conviction for the murder of her baby daughter Azaria. He also defended corrupt detective Roger Rogerson against bribery charges, and District Court Judge John Foord, who faced charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Foord's acquittal gave rise to the motto 'Chester Porter Walks on Water'.
Artist and teacher Graeme Inson painted landscapes and still life as well as portraits, travelling widely to paint and holding scores of solo exhibitions in Sydney into the 1990s. This painting came about at the behest of Porter's colleagues in the NSW Bar Association, and was painted to mark the 50th anniversary of his admittance to the Bar.
Gift of Jean Porter and family 2021. Donated through the Australia Government’s Cultural Gifts Program.
© Harvey Shore
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