From Moree to Mabo: The Biography of Mary Gaudron

Mary Gaudron was the first female justice to serve on the High Court of Australia, that country's most powerful court. This biography recounts the formative events that shaped Gaudron's life and career. By Burton's own admission however, this biography does not benefit from the assistance of Gaudron herself, as she refused to be interviewed or grant access to her personal documents for this work. As a result, the information in this book comes from interviews with friends, co-workers, and other acquaintances, as well as from newspaper articles, court documents, and other primary source material. Burton, an experienced lawyer in her own right, writes passionately about Gaudron's significance not only to Australia's legal community, but to the nation's history as a whole. Distributed in the United States by ISBS. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This is the remarkable story of Mary Gaudron AC QC, the first female justice of the high court of Australia. Gaudron grew up within Moree's railway community in New South Wales, where she lived as a child in a cottage with dirt floors. Her assent to justice of the high court of Australia is an amazing and empowering tale of strength and courage. With wit, astonishing intellect, and the tool of the law, Gaudron exposed inequality and discrimination in the workforce and campaigned vigorously for women to be accorded equal pay and equal opportunities. Years later, she went on to become one of the justices who ruled on Eddie Mabo's landmark case regarding Aboriginal land rights. From Moree to Mabo is written by Pamela Burton, who is well regarded in the Australian legal community. When Burton faced similar obstacles as one of the few women commencing private legal practice in the 1970s, she received encouragement and support from the brave convention breaker, Mary Gaudron.