| Creator: |
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| Date of birth: |
1920- |
| Date of death: |
1985- |
| Biography: |
Sir David Plumley Derham (1920-1985), lawyer and Vice-Chancellor, was born on 13 May 1920 in Melbourne, son of Dr. Alfred Plumley Derham and Frances Derham (née Anderson). He completed his secondary education at Trinity Grammar School and Scotch College. In 1938, David entered Ormond College, University of Melbourne, completing a Bachelor of Arts in 1941. During this time David was also a member of the Melbourne University Rifles. He joined the Melbourne University Regiment on 1 November 1940. David enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on 28 July 1941 and served as a trooper in an armoured regiment before becoming a lieutenant in 1942. From 1943 he performed air liaison and support duties at headquarters in New Guinea, the Netherlands East Indies and Borneo, and for brief periods with American forces in the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. In 1947, David was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), in recognition of his service during the war.
In 1944, David married Rosemary Joan Brudenell, daughter of General Sir Brudenell White. David was able to resume his education at University of Melbourne under the Commonwealth Reconstruction Training Scheme, and graduated LL B (1947) and LLM (1948) with first-class honours. After completing his legal education, David articled at Moule, Hamilton and Derham, under his uncle Francis Derham. David worked as a Barrister from 1945-1951, and became a Solicitor in 1948. During this time David began his career as a legal educator, first as a tutor of Law at University of Melbourne (Queens College) and then as an Independent Lecturer in Constitutional Law (1949-1951). In 1951, David succeeded Sir George Whitecross Paton as Professor of Jurisprudence, holding the post until 1964. From 1953-1954 David also taught overseas, first as Visiting Fellow at Wadham College, Oxford, and then as a Carnegie Travelling Fellow.
David Derham was instrumental to the establishment of the Law School at Monash University in 1964. In the same year he took the post of Dean of Faculty of Law, Monash University, teaching at the new Law School until 1968. In 1968, David succeeded G.W. Paton as Vice-Chancellor of University of Melbourne, a position he would hold until his retirement in 1982. During his time as Vice-Chancellor David reviewed the administrative structure of The University of Melbourne and addressed a recent surge in student activism. He also contributed to legal scholarship, as first as the editor of Paton’s ‘Textbook of Jurisprudence’ (1964 and 1972 editions) and then as a joint author of ‘An Introduction to Law and Cases and Materials on Legal Processes’ (1966) with F. K. Maher and P. L. Waller. He also contributed book chapters and had articles published in local and international law journals. In 1968 David received the honour of Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG), and Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1977. David’s achievements were also recognised by Monash University, who conferred upon him an honorary LLD.
During his life David was involved in many committees, including: Board of Management Royal Melbourne Hospital (1958-1982), Commonwealth Committee on Future of Tertiary Education in Australia (1962-1964), Overseas Service Bureau (1965-1981), Australian Universities Commission (1965-1968), Melbourne Theatre Company Board of Management (1973-1982), Chairman Australian Vice-Chancellor’s Committee (1975-1976). David was also involved in social clubs, including: Naval & Military, Royal Melbourne Golf, Barwon Heads Golf, Melbourne Beefsteak, and Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin.
In 1981, David Derham retired from his role as Vice-Chancellor at The University of Melbourne, due to his diminishing health. During his final years David was forced to give up many of his social and professional commitments. David Derham passed away in September 1985 of Chronic Obstructive Airway Disease. In 1986, his article on the dismissal of the Whitlam government was published posthumously and went on to win the Rogers Legal Writing Award.
Sources consulted:
Cecily Close, 'Derham, Sir David Plumley (1920–1985)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/derham-sir-david-plumley-12414/text22317, published in hardcopy 2007, accessed online 25 February 2014. |
| Activities/Occupation: |
Academics - Law, Vice-chancellors |
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