Sir Edward Albert Stone (9 March 1844 – 2 April 1920) was an Australian lawyer, lieutenant governor, politician and the fourth Chief Justice of Western Australia.[1]
Stone was born in Perth, Western Australia, the second son[2] and third of nine children of[1] George Frederick Stone, an early attorney-general of the colony of Western Australia.[2] Edward Stone was educated at Chigwell School, Essex, England and then joined his father's Perth law firm[1] in 1860 and was called to the bar in 1865. Stone was clerk of the Legislative Council 1870–74, and acting attorney-general, and acting judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia 1879–1883.[1]
Stone was appointed a puisne judge of the Supreme Court in 1883 and succeeded Sir Alexander Onslow as Chief Justice in 1901, a position he held until 1906 when health problems forced his retirement.[1] Stone once addressed a man appearing in his own defence: "You may be poor, but you are still entitled to justice."[1] Stone was made a knight bachelor on 15 August 1902,[3] after the honour had been announced in the 1902 Coronation Honours list published on 26 June 1902.[4] In 1912 he was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG).[5]
In addition to his career as a lawyer and judge, Stone was a member of the Church of England and was involved in various philanthropic, educational and cultural movements in Western Australia.
Stone died in Perth, aged 76, on 2 April 1920 and was survived by his wife, Susannah Shenton.[1]