Lionel Robberds KC was a fine barrister, an admired and talented sportsman, and a much-loved husband, father and grandfather. He passed away on 30 March 2024 at the age of 84.

Educated at Sydney Boys High School and the University of Sydney Law School, Lionel was called to the Bar in 1966 and appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1982. He practised at the New South Wales Bar for over 55 years. His forensic skills were much admired by his colleagues, his solicitors and the Bench. He specialised (if it can be called that) in complex criminal and commercial litigation and was often briefed by the State or the Commonwealth in matters of complexity because of his great skill at analysis and his extensive and detailed appreciation of legal principles, which he could expound in court succinctly and precisely. His presentation was dry and accurate. He was briefed in many high-profile cases, including the prosecution of Rodney Adler following the HIH Insurance collapse; the prosecution of the Minister for Prisons, Rex Jackson, for accepting bribes to release prisoners; and the Inquiry into the conviction of David Eastman. He even appeared for Moses Obeid before the 2012 Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings into the misconduct of Minister Ian McDonald.

Lionel’s contribution to the Bar over more than 55 years included his role as a founding member of Frederick Jordan Chambers and the many, many years he spent as secretary of those Chambers. It was Lionel who provided the administrative skills and conscientious service that enabled the establishment and continuance of those chambers. Its members owe him a great debt.

Together with his practice as a barrister, he served as a member of the National Crime Authority, on the Legal Professional Standards Board, as a senior member of the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal, as a member of the Legal Services Tribunal, and for many years on the Bar Council of New South Wales. He was a strong supporter of women at the Bar. All this he did while, with his wife Sandra, bringing up their children Christina, Craig and Mark, by all of whom he was deeply loved.

Lionel always retained a capacity to appreciate the humanity of others and, in his dealings with them, to reflect his own humanity. In his early days at the Bar, he accepted briefs on behalf of tenants from the Public Solicitor’s office in the Local courts. He remembered those days with affection, recounting how the family came to give him the nickname ‘Pepe’ after an attempt on his part to grow a distinguished beard. He showed his sensitive social conscience, introducing his daughter Christina to Josephite Community Aid (which provides assistance to refugees and others in need). With his son Craig, he was involved in the establishment of the Gabby Robberds Scholarship which was set up by the Cerebral Palsy Alliance and the University of Canberra, to honour his granddaughter Gabrielle, who had severe cerebral palsy and died at the age of nearly three.

Remarkably, while bringing up his family and practising at the Bar he had a stellar career as a sportsman, representing Australia in both rowing and squash. At the age of 15 he was selected as the coxswain for the Australian Four team that won the gold medal at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver. He continued to represent Leichhardt Rowing Club (for which he first coxed at the age of nine), New South Wales and Australia for the rest of his sporting career. Among his other achievements, he coxed the Australian Eight to a silver medal and the Four to a bronze medal at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, and coxed the Australian Four in the 1960 Rome Olympics. He became a life member and patron of the Leichhardt Rowing Club, where he continued to inspire particularly the young members and to coach; he was a contributing member and mentor until not long before his death. At the national level he coxed successful women’s crews to state titles and coxed Men’s Eight King’s Cup and Sydney University crews. As a rower himself, he won the New South Wales double sculls championship with his partner in 1958. All in all, his service to the sport, and particularly Leichhardt Rowing Club, extended over the remarkable span of 75 years.

But, as some advertisements say, that was not all. At the age of 24 he took up squash; by age 31, he was ranked fifth nationally and was selected to represent both New South Wales and Australia. In 1973, he was selected in the Australian team to contest the World Championships in South Africa, which Australia won. He was selected again in the 1976 Teams Championship, in which Australia finished third. When his representative playing days were over, he continued as a successful coach and, in particular, coached his niece, Michelle Martin, to World Number 1 ranking three times. His nephews, Brett and Rodney, also achieved success in squash. In 2016, he was awarded membership of the Order of Australia for his significant services to rowing, the law and the community. Until shortly before his death he remained a mentor and approachable consultant, both in his sporting fields and to those members of the Bar with problems or difficulties, ever generous of his time, skills, knowledge and experience in order to help others.

The sad news of Lionel’s death understandably produced many obituaries in both social media and general publications. The above recital barely does justice to a man, a lawyer, a husband, a father and a sportsman whose life so remarkably touched so many others. The Bar is diminished by his passing.