S.E.K. Hulme

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Samuel Edward Keith Hulme

AM QC  
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Born(1929-07-13)July 13, 1929
DiedNovember 27, 2008(2008-11-27) (aged 79)
Alma materMelbourne University
OccupationBarrister

Samuel Edward Keith Hulme (13 July 1929 – 27 November 2008) was a barrister, Queen's Counsel and company director.

Early life

The second son of Samuel Edgeley Hulme and Alethea Henrietta Hulme (nee Wright). He and his family, elder sister Beatrice Alethea and brother Howard Edgeley, East Malvern, Melbourne. His father died at a local golf course in 1938, when he was only 9 years old.

Hulme was educated at Lloyd Street Central School in East Malvern before gaining a scholarship to Wesley College Preparatory School in Prahran in 1941.

Known as Keith within the family, he acquired the nickname "S.E.K." during selection discussions for a school football match.[1]

He gained a scholarship to the Royal Australian Naval College in 1943 but stayed only one year, before resuming his studies at Wesley College, finishing school in 1947.[2]

In 1967 Geoffrey Blainey requested S.E.K.'s assistance as co-author of Wesley College: the First Hundred Years, (along with James Morrissey).

Education

From 1948-51, he studied law at Melbourne University and gained a scholarship to live in Queen's College, later graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). While at Queen's, his college tutor was David Derham.[3]

In addition to University studies S.E.K. was an editor of Farrago, and involved in student theatre.

While on the committee for Melbourne University Dramatic Company, he met Helmut Newton who had been brought in to do photographs of the sets and for the advertisement. Hulme was later photographed by Newton as a model for adverts and catalogues including for Patons and Baldwins' Knitting Books.[4] Newton also took Hulme's passport photo.[5]

He was in the Melbourne University Regiment from 1948-1952, before becoming a Commissioned Officer (Citizens Military Forces) in the CMF Air Liaison Section in 1952-53.

On the recommendation of his then-Dean, Zelman Cowen (later Australian Governor-General), S.E.K. applied for and was awarded the Rhodes scholarship in 1952.[6] Cowen was also responsible for recommending Magdalen College, just as he had for Jim Gobbo, the previous year's scholarship recipient.[7]

On the advice of Maurice Ashkenazy, the Chairman of the Bar Council, Hulme signed the Victorian Bar roll in 1953, prior to leaving for Oxford. This was due to a shortage of available chambers for barristers, with an unofficial waitlist stretching three years. So, S.E.K. would be able to attend Oxford and return and be towards the top of the list.[8] A loophole that Ashkanasy had used himself previously.[9]

He attended Magdalen College (Oxford University) between 1953-55, graduating with a Bachelor of Civil Law (First Class Honours). In 1956, he was a temporary lecturer in law at Magdelen and was admitted to the Honourable Society of Gray’s Inn London in 1957. While in London he shared a flat in Chelsea with Jim Gobbo. Hulme returned to Melbourne to commence practice at the Victorian Bar. He also lectured and tutored in law for a while at Melbourne University.

Legal career

Specialising in equity, revenue and commercial matters, S.E.K. read with Keith Aickin, starting in 1956, before moving to chambers of his own in Eagle Star Chambers. He also became something of a specialist in Inquiries, starting with the royal commissions into the King Street and Westgate bridge collapses in Melbourne.

S.E.K. eventually took silk in 1968 after being knocked back twice.[10] As a QC, Hulme dealt with such issues as constitutional law, taxation and commercial litigation.

During his years as a junior, S.E.K. had four readers: Gavan Griffith, Ron Castan, Bruce Coles (part of the Coles family) and Peter Galbally.

He was chairman of Barristers' Chambers Ltd between 1979-87.

His hereditary deafness meant his later career was more focused on the written word, providing extensive opinions for all sorts of corporate entities. Legal sources say that his erudite legal opinions laid the ground for a good deal of commercial activity in corporate Australia, particularly in the early 1980s.[11]

One of his last big court cases was his appearance for National Australia Bank when receivers were appointed to Alan Bond's Bond Brewing in January 1990.

Constitutional law

S.E.K. spoke broadly on the Australian Constitution and regularly wrote regarding proposed changes to the Institute of Public Affairs.[12]

S.E.K. described the constitution to be a ‘broad and continuing document which does not seek to prescribe the answers to each generation's problems but which provides the basic structure within which each passing generation will carry on and resolve the issues important to that generation’.[13]

Hulme also wrote critically on the legal process to obtain a judgement[14] in Mabo v Queensland (No1 and No2). As a direct result, the WA Government then called on him to make submissions to the bill preceding the Native Title Act 1993.[15]

Judicial aspirations

S.E.K. twice declined appointment to the Supreme Court of Victoria.[16] Having stated that he was only interested in being a judge at the High Court, which was never offered.

Due to his deteriorating deafness, Hulme believed that he would be better suited to High Court judgements as they were largely fought through paperwork. [17]

Other business interests

  • The Proceedings of the Medico Legal Society of Victoria (1965) (Editor).
  • Director of Comalco (now Rio Tinto) 1976-2000.
  • Member of the Barristers' Disciplinary Tribunal (Victoria) between 1980-97.[18]
  • Board member of Joe White Maltings in 1981, and chairman in 1991 while the company fought off a takeover bid by Guinness Peat Group.[19]
  • Inaugural chairman of the Melbourne University Law School Foundation (1985-92).
  • Member, Victorian Government Review Panel on Judicial Remuneration (1994).
  • President for the Melbourne Club 1995.
  • Human Ethics Committees at the Royal Children's Hospital (Melbourne) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
  • Councillor and vice president of the Old Colonists' Association of Victoria (OCAV, now, Abound Communities).

Personal life

In 1968 he purchased a 200-acre farm in Arthurs Creek. In the 1970’s his farm manager at Arthurs Creek, had decided to plant a vineyard. This grew and grew and then came the problem of what to do with the wine that was being made and stored. So, a new business was born, it became the Arthus Creek Estate[20], which produced award-winning wines through the nineties until the end was reached in 2004.

S.E.K. married Natalia Matushenko on 25 September 1970. Their son Ivan David was born and died shortly after in 1971. Their daughter Tamara Jane was born on 27 February 1973.

In 1992 Hulme was recognised in the Queen's Birthday Honours list and was made a Member of the Order of Australia (A.M).

He retired from the Bar on 30 June 2008, and died peacefully at his home on 27 November 2008

In 2013, OCAV opened the new $8 million SEK Hulme Community Centre and 26 independent and assisted living apartments at Rushall Park.[21]

Honours

  • 1941 - Wesley College Scholarship
  • 1943 - Royal Australian Naval College Scholarship
  • 1948 - Queen's College Scholarship
  • 1952 - Rhodes Scholarship (for 1953)
  • 1955 - Eldon Scholar Award
  • 1992 - Order of Australia (AM)

Bibliography

Author

  • Wesley College: The First Hundred Years, Robertson & Mullens, Melbourne, 1967 (with Geoffrey Blainey and J. H. Morrissey) 20

Published articles

  • The Consitiution and its Confused Critics, S.E.K. Hulme 21
  • S.E.K. Hulme ‘Constitutions and the Constitution’ (Paper presented at Annual Samuel Griffith Society Conference, 1992, Melbourne).
  • Hit and Myth in the Law Courts, S.E.K. Hulme, Samuel Griffith Society Proceedings Vol 4
  • HIGH Court centenary : reminiscences and reflections. | AUSTRALIAN LAW JOURNAL

References

  1. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  2. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  3. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  4. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  5. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  6. ↑ "Queen's College, Melbourne", Wikipedia, 2025-04-07, retrieved 2025-04-07
  7. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  8. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  9. ↑ Cowen, Zelman, "Maurice Ashkanasy (1901–1971)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2025-04-08
  10. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  11. ↑ "Where are they now? SAMUEL EDWARD KEITH HULME". Australian Financial Review. 1999-11-05. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  12. ↑ Hulme, S.E.K. (1992). "The Constitution and its Confused Critics" (PDF). IPA Review. 45 (4): 5 – via The Institute of Public Affairs.
  13. ↑ Hulme, S.E.K. (1992). "Constitutions and the Constitution". Samuel Griffith Society Conference.
  14. ↑ Hulme, S.E.K. (1993). "The High Court in Mabo". Upholding the Australian Constitution. 58 – via AustLII.
  15. ↑ https://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/wopapub/senate/committee/legcon_ctte/completed_inquiries/pre1996/native_title/03_0app1_pdf.ashx
  16. ↑ "The High Court and Mr. S.E.K. Hulme Q.C. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  17. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  18. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  19. ↑ "Where are they now? SAMUEL EDWARD KEITH HULME". Australian Financial Review. 1999-11-05. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  20. ↑ "The Victorian Bar - Oral History". old.vicbar.com.au. Retrieved 2025-04-07.
  21. ↑ "Abound Communities". www.aboundcommunities.org.au. Retrieved 2025-04-07.

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