Collection O4 - Ogilvie, McKenna & Morris Solicitors

Albert George Ogilvie (1890-1939), premier, was born on 10 March 1890 at the Victoria Tavern, Hobart, son of James Ogilvie, publican (son of a convict smith), and his wife Kate, née McGee. Ogilvie attended Buckland's School in Hobart and St Patrick's College, Ballarat, Victoria. He afterwards retained some tie with the Catholic Church. In 1913 he completed a law degree at the University of Tasmania, showing ability as both scholar and athlete. After serving articles with N. K. Ewing, he was admitted to the Bar in 1914 and established a reputation for persuasion of juries in criminal cases.
Ogilvie advised trade unions, and entered Labor politics, winning the seat of Franklin in the House of Assembly in May 1919.
For more information see : http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/ogilvie-albert-george-7889

Sir John Demetrius Morris (1902-1956), judge and university chancellor, was born on Christmas Eve 1902 at Hawthorn, Melbourne, third child of James Demetrius Morris, a civil servant from New Zealand, and his Victorian-born wife Margaret Jane, née Smith. Educated at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, and the University of Melbourne (B.A., 1924; LL.B., 1925; M.A., 1926), he was admitted to the Victorian Bar on 7 November 1927. At St Dominic's Catholic Church, East Camberwell, on 28 May 1930 he married Mary Louisa McDermott, a 29-year-old clerk. They moved to Hobart where he was admitted to the Tasmanian Bar on 24 October. He joined the firm of A. G. Ogilvie which became Ogilvie, McKenna & Morris in 1931. Within a few years the firm's major court work was being handled by Morris: Ogilvie chose to devote more time to his political career in the House of Assembly; McKenna was to do likewise when he was elected to the Senate in 1943. For more information see: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/morris-sir-john-demetrius-11172