NOTE, FREDERICK PALGRAVE BARLEE TO ARCHIBALD PAULL BURT RE AMENDING HIS WARRANT AS COMMISSIONER OF THE CIVIL COURT

This note refers to the existence of an amended warrant appointing Archibald Paull Burt as Civil Commissioner in Western Australia which has the addition of a new clause pertaining to a residence. The note has historical significance due to its association with AP Burt who became a key figure in the development of law in the English tradition in Western Australia.

Sir Archibald Paull Burt (1810-1879) was born into a plantation-owning family on St Kitts Island (formerly St Christopher in the West Indies). Burt accepted the position of Civil Commissioner and Chairman of Quarter Sessions in Western Australia in 1860. In January 1861 he arrived in Western Australia with his family. Burt was instrumental in establishing the Supreme Court Australia in 1861 and became the first Chief Justice of Western Australia. Knighted for his contributions in 1873, he maintained a secluded life to ensure impartiality and professional detachment as sole judge in the colony until his death in 1879. Archibald Paull Burt’s impact and lasting legacy in Western Australia continues through his family members who have held governmental and legislative roles in the state for multiple generations.