Reginald Sholl

Sir Reginald Sholl
Born	Reginald Richard Sholl (1902-10-08)8 October 1902 East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Died	7 August 1988(1988-08-07) (aged 85) Southport, Queensland, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	University of Melbourne (BA, MA)
Occupation(s)	Lawyer, diplomat, commentator
Spouses	Hazel Ethel Bradshaw ​ ​ (m. 1927; died 1962)​ Anna McLean nee Carpenter ​ ​ (m. 1964)​

Sir Reginald Richard Sholl (8 October 1902 – 7 August 1988) was an Australian lawyer, judge, diplomat, commentator.^[1]

Sholl was born in East Melbourne in 1902.^[2] Having attended Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne,^[3] Sholl was selected as Victorian Rhodes scholar for 1924.^[4] Whilst studying at Oxford University he lived at New College, and learnt to play rugby.^[5]He received a university blue in football, and also played lacrosse for Oxford and Combined Universities.^[6] In 1927, Sholl was a journalist in London with the Australian Press Association.^[2]

During World War II, he served with the Australian Military Forces,^[2] and Australian Imperial Forces in New Guinea.^[7]

Sholl was appointed a King's Counsel in Victoria in February 1947,^[8] in Tasmania in August 1947,^[9] and elsewhere in 1948.^[7] In June 1949, he was appointed as counsel assisting Justice Charles Lowe in the Royal Commission Inquiring into the Origins, Aims, Objects and Funds of the Communist Party in Victoria and Other Related Matters.^[10][11]

In January 1950 Sholl was appointed a judge in the Supreme Court of Victoria, replacing Sir James Macfarlan.^[1][7] In 1952, he suggested it would be appropriate to order corporal punishment for violent crimes.^[12]

Sholl was knighted in June 1962.^[13][14]

In 1966, Sholl picked up an overseas posting, serving the Australian Government as Australian Consul-General in New York.^[15]

In 1970, Sholl joined the committee of the Overseas Services Bureau. The Bureau was responsible for the Australian Volunteers Abroad scheme.^[16]

In 1974 and 1975 Sholl conducted a Royal Commission into airline services to Western Australia.^[1]

References

1. Maher, Laurence W. (2012), "Sholl, Sir Reginald Richard (1902–1988)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 7 March 2016, retrieved 5 February 2017
2. "Three likely spy probe judges all old soldiers". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney). Vol. XIX, no. 31. New South Wales, Australia. 27 April 1954. p. 2. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "Sir Reginald Sholl" (PDF), The Australian Bar Gazette: 15–16, 1966, archived (PDF) from the original on 5 February 2017, retrieved 5 February 2017
4. "Victorian Rhodes Scholar: Mr. R. R. Sholl Chosen". The Argus. Melbourne, Victoria. 16 November 1923. p. 11.
5. "The Rhodes scholar who is defending Cosgrove". The Sun. NSW. 15 February 1948. p. 27.
6. "Mr SHOLL takes silk". The Herald. No. 21, 750. Victoria, Australia. 4 February 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Mr R. Sholl new judge". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 32, 253. Victoria, Australia. 14 January 1950. p. 9. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "Mr R. R. Sholl King's Counsel". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 31, 336. Victoria, Australia. 5 February 1947. p. 10. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "Appointment of K.C". The Examiner (Tasmania). Vol. CVI, no. 121. Tasmania, Australia. 2 August 1947. p. 2. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "The comrades tried to stop this". The Sun. No. 2412. New South Wales, Australia. 3 July 1949. p. 6. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
11. "Communist inquiry". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. 55, no. 14, 522. Western Australia. 21 June 1949. p. 5. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
12. "Judge urges whippings for violence". The Argus. 22 November 1952. p. 5.
13. "Many Awards For Services". The Canberra Times. Vol. 36, no. 10, 241. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 2 June 1962. p. 1. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
14. "30 Honoured". The Canberra Times. Vol. 36, no. 10, 297. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 7 August 1962. p. 12. Retrieved 12 September 2025 – via National Library of Australia.
15. "New York post for Justice". The Canberra Times. 9 December 1965. p. 18.
16. "New post". The Canberra Times. 13 March 1970. p. 3.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Roden Cutler	Australian Consul-General in New York 1966–1968	Succeeded by Francis Murray as Acting Consul-General