The Derrington Scholarship
Justice Desmond Keith Derrington (1954)
Justice Roger Marc Derrington (1986)
Justice Sarah Catherine Derrington (1990)
The Derrington family have had a central role in the recent history of the Law School. The family’s involvement with the Law School commenced in the 1940s, when Des Derrington, as a young man in Rockhampton, undertook his university studies as an external student whilst working full time in the office of the Public Curator. After a remarkable career at the Bar and as a Judge of the Supreme Court, Justice Derrington was honoured with a Doctorate of Laws honoris causa in 2000. The family’s connection to the Law School continued to a second generation, when two of Justice Derrington’s children (Roger and Margot Derrington) became graduates of the Law School – and married fellow graduates (Sarah Johnstone and Christopher Blue). Roger Derrington QC was a leading member of the commercial Bar in Queensland, before his appointment as a Judge of the Federal Court. Professor Sarah Derrington was the Dean of the Law School during a transformational period in its history (2013-18), before her appointment as President of the Australian Law Reform Commission and a Judge of the Federal Court. The family’s connection to the Law School continues through a further generation of graduates of the Law School.
Desmond Keith Derrington was born in 1930 in Rockhampton. He was educated at St Joseph’s College, Rockhampton (1936- 44). For financial reasons, Des was obliged to leave school at the age of 14. He commenced work as a clerk in the Queensland Public Curator’s Office in Rockhampton and then commenced a ten year period of part-time study to complete his secondary education and then undertake his university education as an external student. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (1950) and a Bachelor of Laws (1954).
On 16 December 1954, Des was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court. He then commenced a period of practice at the Bar in Rockhampton (1954-66). In 1966, the Derrington family moved to Brisbane, with Des Derrington being appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1974.
On 3 December 1982, Derrington QC was appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He served in this role for 17 years until his statutory retirement in 2000. During this period, he wrote the first two editions of one of Australia’s leading insurance texts – The Law of Liability Insurance (1st Ed, 1990; 2nd Ed, 2005; 3rd Ed, 2013). For his work on insurance law, he was awarded the Medal of Honour by the Association Internationale de Droit des Assurances (1994). He also served as Chairman of the Supreme Court Library Committee (1994-97) and as a member of the board of the Law Faculty (1990-92). In 2000, he was appointed an Adjunct Professor of Law.
Roger Marc Derrington was born in 1962 in Rockhampton. Having moved to Brisbane with his family in 1966, he was educated at Ironside State School and Brisbane Grammar School. He graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts (1984) and a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours (1986). He was awarded a Menzies Scholarship and read for a Bachelor of Civil Laws degree at Worcester College, Oxford. In 1990, he married a fellow law graduate, Sarah Johnstone, and moved to Canberra to serve as Associate to Sir Gerard Brennan in the High Court of Australia. In 1991, Roger Derrington commenced practice at the commercial Bar in Brisbane, taking silk in 2004. Since 2005, he has been an Adjunct Professor at the Law School, lecturing in a wide range of subjects. From 2009 to 2017, he was the Editor of the Queensland Reports. In 2017, he was appointed a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
Sarah Catherine Derrington (née Johnstone) was born in 1968 in Townsville, the daughter of the Rev David Johnstone. Rev Johnstone was, for many years, the chaplain of the Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane. Sarah Johnstone was educated at St Anne’s School, Townsville, Mentone Girls Grammar School, Melbourne, St Hilda’s School, Southport, and St Margaret’s School, Brisbane. She then graduated from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Arts in French and German (1988) and a Bachelor of Laws with honours (1990). In 1990, she was admitted as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Queensland. After a period in practice, she returned to the Law School as a member of the academic staff, where she completed both a Master of Laws (1996) and a doctorate (1999). Her doctoral thesis concerned the law relating to nondisclosure, misrepresentation and breach of warranty in contracts of marine insurance. In 2008, Dr Derrington was appointed Professor of Admiralty Law at the Law School – and in 2013 was appointed the Dean of the Law School. During her tenure as Dean, Professor Derrington was instrumental in facilitating the physical and academic rejuvenation of the Law School. In 2018, Professor Derrington was appointed a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia and President of the Australian Law Reform Commission.
Justices Roger and Sarah Derrington have three children, two of whom have been students at the Law School (Nicholas and Stephanie Derrington).
Derrington Scholarship Recipients
2021 Bridie Shooter
2020 Alice Tanzer-Wilde