Sir James Alexander Forrest (10 March 1905 in Kerang, Victoria – 26 September 1990 in Malvern, Victoria) was an Australian lawyer, businessman and philanthropist.
Biography Family
James Alexander Forrest was the third of five children of Scottish-born parents John Forrest and Mary Forrest, née Gray.
He married Mary Christina Armit (1913–1995), the granddaughter of Sir Edward Fancourt Mitchell, on 9 December 1939Weddings of the Week, The Weekly Times, (Saturday, 16 December 1939), p.46. (or 1935). They had three children: Alexander James "Alex" Forrest (1941–),Births: Forrest, The Argus, (Thursday, 1 January 1942), p.2. an engineer; William John "Bill" Forrest (1944-),Births: Forrest, The Argus, (Thursday, 1 June 1944), p.2. a solicitor; and Hugh David Forrest, an agricultural scientist.Degrees and Diplomas Conferred, 1971: Faculty of Agriculture: Bachelor of Agricultural Science, University of Melbourne, p.99.
Education
Forrest was educated at Caulfield Grammar School in Melbourne; he attended there from 1920 to 1922.Weber (1981), p.292.School Speech Night: Caulfield Grammar School: University Results, The (Melbourne) Herald, (Friday, 14 December 1923), p.10.
In 1925, he started an articled clerk's course at the University of Melbourne; and, although this course of study did not lead to a law degree, it qualified the student as both a barrister and solicitor in Victoria. He was admitted to the Victorian Bar on 3 March 1930.About People, The Age, (Tuesday, 4 March 1930), p.9. His admission was moved by both Robert Menzies and Wilfred Fullagar, and presided over by William Irvine, then the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Career
Forrest became a prominent lawyer, specializing in corporate law. He was a partner at the firm of Hedderwicks Fookes & Alston, which later merged to become Allens Arthur Robinson.Allens Arthur Robinson (2006). Our history. Retrieved 5 March 2006. His business grew thanks to his close ties with the Grimwade family, and he was eventually named a director of the Felton Grimwalde & Duerdins Ltd family holding.
Jim Forrest was enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in June 1942, and discharged in September 1943. He served as a Flight Lieutenant in RAAF Intelligence during his enlistment, and then worked for the Department of Aircraft Production.Rogers, 1991.
Shortly after the war Forrest took up several board directorships of Australian companies : 1945-1977: Board member of the Australian Mutual Provident Society 1953-1977: Chairman of Australian Consolidated Industries 1959-1978: Chairman of the National Bank of Australasia 1959-1969: Director of the Drug Houses of Australia Ltd 1961-1977: Director of the AMP Society 1970-1972: Director of the Western Mining Corporation 1971-1980: Chairman of Chase-NBA Group Ltd 1970-1978: Chairman of Alcoa Australia
From 1961 to 1971, he was a foundation member of the Council of Monash University. He was a board member of numerous charitable and educational bodies, including the Royal Children's Hospital, Scotch College, Scouts Australia, and an original member of the Victoria Law Foundation.
Recognition 1967: Knight Bachelor for "services to the community".Australian Honours (2006). FORREST, James Alexander. Retrieved 12 June 2006. 1977-1990 fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, after becoming the fourth person inducted into the Fellowship by Special Election. 1979: Honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) degree by Monash University for service to the law, commerce, and Monash itself.
A portrait of Forrest, painted by William Boissevain, and donated by Alcoa, now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery at the Old Parliament House.John Howard (2003). TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP RECEPTION TO MARK THE OCCASION OF ALCOA GIFTING THREE WORKS TO THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY, OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA . Retrieved 5 March 2006.
In 1977, The Australian Financial Review called him « one of the most dominant men among Australian company directors for a quarter of a century ».
See also List of Caulfield Grammar School people
References
External links Grigg, Terry, "Forrest, Sir James Alexander (Jim) (1905–1990)", pp.403-404 in D. Langmore (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 17: 1981-1990: A-K, Melbourne University Press, (Carlton), 2007. Rogers, D.W. (1991), James Alexander Forrest 1905–1990, Australian Academy of Science: reprinted from Historical Records of Australian Science, vol.8, no.4, 1991.
Australian Academy of Science biographical memoir