Kenneth Street

Who was Kenneth Street?

Sir Kenneth Whistler Street, KCMG, KStJ, was an Australian Jurist.

He was elevated as a judge of the Supreme Court on 7 October 1931. He thus joined the bench of which his father Philip Whistler Street was then chief justice. In 1949, as senior puisne judge, Street acted as chief justice when Sir Frederick Jordan died. Confirmed in that office from 6 January 1950, he was sworn in on 7 February, thus becoming the second of three generations of the Street family to serve New South Wales as Chief Justice.

Appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, and awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Sydney, Sir Kenneth became lieutenant-governor and administered the State several times. Farewelled in court in December 1959, he retired from the bench on his seventieth birthday. In 1951 he was appointed a knight of grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.

He married Jessie Street, social reformer. They had four children including Sir Laurence Street who also attained the position of Chief Justice. His daughter Philippa married the Australian Test cricketer and journalist Jack Fingleton.