James Gobbo
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Sir James Augustine Gobbo, AC, CVO, QC (born 22 March, 1931) is an Australian jurist and was the 25th Governor of Victoria.
James Gobbo was born in Melbourne to Italian parents, who subsequently returned to Italy for a brief period before returning to live permanently in Australia in 1938.
Gobbo attended high school at Xavier College before studying law at the University of Melbourne during which time he lived at Newman College. In 1951 he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, with which he attained a Master of Arts degree at Oxford University. After many years as a barrister and later as a Queen's Counsel, James Gobbo was appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1978, and retired from the bench in 1994.
Gobbo worked as Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria from 1995 until he was appointed Governor of Victoria in 1997 by the government of Premier Jeff Kennett. He was the first Australian state governor of Italian descent. In 2000 the new Premier Steve Bracks announced that Gobbo's successor would be John Landy, who would take up his post in January 2001. Gobbo immediately made it known that he had had an understanding with Kennett for an extension of his term beyond 2000, and expressed deep disappointment that this was not now to occur.
After leaving office, Gobbo took up positions on various boards and councils. As of 2005, he is the Chairman of Councils of the National Library of Australia and the Order of Australia.
James Gobbo was knighted in 1982 and became a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1993.
He married former teacher Shirley Lewis in 1957, and has five children.
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