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A Young Lawyer Down Under: Isadore Goldman’s Australian Interlude

Posted on13 May 2024

In 1886, after just a year of running his fledgling legal practice in Sunderland, England, the adventurous Isadore Goldman set sail for Australia. Family lore holds that he made the intrepid trip to Sydney to settle the affairs of a deceased racehorse-owning uncle, who was reputed to be extremely wealthy.

Goldman capitalised on his recent qualification as a solicitor, gaining admittance to practice in New South Wales under Chief Justice Isaacs. Over a decade later, this Australian connection allowed the senior partner of his London firm to be registered as a "Commissioner for New South Wales" - a unique privilege for an English lawyer.

During his 18 months in Sydney, Goldman gained experience in county courts and criminal work. By his own colourful account, he defended no less than 7 murder cases, all resulting in convictions. He also counted a brother of General Monash, commander of Australian forces in WWI, among his clients.

Contemporary sources indicate the dire economic depression in Sydney and open desperation of its unemployed citizens made a striking impression on Goldman. He described vivid scenes of men pathetically attempting to work in order to secure their passage back to England. Their poverty was symbolised by the pathetic makeshift footwear cobbled together from boot parts and wire.

Ultimately finding the intense Antipodean heat too oppressive, Goldman took the momentous decision to return to England. He booked second class passage on the Orient steamship line - no doubt a step down from his outward-bound trip to claim an inheritance. The £37 ticket brought him back to Sunderland by late 1887 to resume his legal career.

This youthful adventure to Australia speaks to Isadore Goldman's daring and independent spirit. His colourful exploits and stories from Sydney certainly left a strong imprint on his family's lore and imagination in the years to come.

The Supreme Court in New South Wales, Australia

The Supreme Court in New South Wales, Australia

Up next Part Three: The London Years: Isadore Goldman & Son, 1895-1939

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