Redmond Barry: An Anglo-Irish Australian

Sir Redmond Barry was the pre-eminent figure in Melbourne of the middle years of last century. A Supreme Court judge for thirty years, he was the founding and sustaining force behind the University of Melbourne, the Supreme Court Library, the Public Library, the National Gallery and the Museum. This important biography is long overdue, probably because of the challenging complexities and sheer scale of Barry's life, both public and private. Ann Galbally, undaunted, tackles the full gamut of his interests, achievements, strengths and weaknesses, and concludes that 'no one replaced him . . . no one could'.