Rt Hon Sir Samuel Griffith GCMG (1845-1920), first Chief Justice of Australia.
Born in Merthyr Tydfil, Samuel Griffith remained devoted to his Welsh ancestry. His career combined politics and the law. He served as attorney general and premier of Queensland. Appointed Chief Justice of Queensland in1893, he drafted the Queensland Criminal Code, which became the model for the “Griffith” codes adopted by other Australian and Commonwealth states.
He played a leading role in the drafting of the Australian Constitution, being appointed the first Chief Justice of Australia in 1903 and serving until his death in 1920.