NSW Senior Counsel Appointments

Prior to 1993 silks were referred to as QC or KC (KC from 1901-1952) depending on the reigning sovereign - they commenced being referred to as SC on and from 1993. Please note that formal titles and/or post nominals that may have been held by an individual on their appointment as a silk have been omitted.

Note: An individual is not listed here if it is know he/she was appointed silk in another jurisdiction prior to taking silk status in NSW where this is known.

Name	Date of appointment	External links
Plunkett, John Hubert	6 June 1856
Manning, William Montagu	23 May 1857
Darvall, John Bayley	16 September 1857
Martin, James	12 November 1857
Broadhurst, Edward	17 August 1858
Lutwyche , Alfred James Peter	10 December 1858
Hargrave, John Fletcher	7 August 1863
Butler, Edward	19 November 1873
Dalley, William Bede	19 March 1877
Stephen, Matthew Henry	2 April 1879
Darley, Frederick Matthew	2 April 1879
Salomons, Julian Emanuel	18 February 1881	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Gordon, Alexander	29 August 1882
Owen, William	29 August 1882
Wisdom, Robert	6 April 1886
Foster, William John	6 December 1886
Simpson, George Bowen	6 December 1886
Rogers, Francis Edward	13 December 1887	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Pilcher, Charles Edward	13 December 1887	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Want, John Henry	13 December 1887	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Wrenfordsley, Henry Thomas	21 February 1889
Barton, Edmund	19 March 1889	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Donovan, John Joseph	23 October 1894	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Simpson, Archibald Henry	18 November 1896	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Walker, William Gregory	18 November 1896	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Heydon, Charles Gilbert	18 November 1896	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
O’Connor, Richard Edward	18 November 1896	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Reid, George Houstoun	1 November 1898	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Wise, Bernhard Ringrose	1898	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Armstrong, John	1901	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Sly, Richard Meares	1904	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Smith, Bruce	1904	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Gordon, Alexander	1904	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Cullen, William Portus	1905	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Wade, Charles Gregory	1905	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Stephen, Cecil Bedford	1906	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Ralston, Alexander Gerard	1906	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Knox, Adrian	1906	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Shand, Alexander Barclay	1906	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Owen, Langer Meade Loftus	1906	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Lamb, S Ernest	1910	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Campbell, James Lang	1910	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Gannon, James Conley	1910	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Garland, John	1910	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Loxton, Edward James	1910	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Canaway, Arthur Pitcairn	1911	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Rich, George Edward	1911	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Leverrier, Francis Hewitt	1911	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Rolin, Tom	1912	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales
Blacket, Wilfred	1912	State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales

Note for interest

William Charles Wentworth, admitted in 1824 with Robert Wardell as foundation barristers in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, was accorded the distinction of wearing a silk gown in February 1835 - the first in private practice to be so recognised (Sydney Gazette, 12 February 1835). That was a 'patent of precedence' but did not entitle him to use the term 'King's Counsel'. Senior law officers customarily wore silk gowns in court in the early decades of the Supreme Court.