Highly respected former Rockhampton magistrate passes away aged 77

A highly-respected former Central Qld magistrate will be remembered as a man with an understanding of a “person’s problems and weaknesses”.

Rockhampton Supreme Court House. Pictures: Jack Tran

Former long-serving and widely respected Queensland Magistrate Tom Bradshaw has passed away aged 77.

Mr Bradshaw, whose funeral service was held in Rockhampton on Tuesday, July 2 after he passed away last month, finished his career as a Rockhampton magistrate in 2004.

At his retirement ceremony at the time, Chief Magistrate Marshall Irwin spoke about Mr Bradshaw’s rise through the court ranks, beginning as a clerk in the magistrates court at the age of 15 and leading to many different postings throughout the state as he worked his way to the position of clerk of the court.

Mr Bradshaw was admitted as a solicitor in 1978 and gained experience as an acting magistrate in places like Dalby and Gympie.

He was appointed a magistrate in 1984 with his first posting at Clermont.

Two years later he was sent to Cairns where he was a day late because the roads were cut by February flood waters.

After those two postings he spent about a decade in Mackay before transferring to Rockhampton in April 1998 before his retirement in 2004.

Former Rockhampton Magistrate Tom Bradshaw has been farewelled.

“Everyone, from court staff, legal practitioners to judicial officers, speak highly of you as a magistrate and as a person,” Mr Irwin said of Mr Bradshaw’s reputation throughout regional Queensland during his farewell speech.

Mr Irwin read a message from Gary Davey, at the time the Assistant Director of Prosecutions with the Commonwealth DPP

in Townsville.

“I found you to be no-nonsense straight talker, an extremely hard worker and a person committed to your career. Later when I renewed my acquaintance with you as a magistrate in Mackay, I found that you had retrained those qualities and had a commitment to

justice.

“As a prosecutor, it has always been a pleasure to appear before you; you have always been fair and reasonable and

maintain control of your court. You demonstrated to me on many occasions that you had the unique ability to be

able to deal with people at their level. You demonstrated to me that you were a man of compassion and fairness and had an understanding of person’s problems and weaknesses. Your decisions have been reasoned and you have displayed a good, sound understanding of what is often difficult Commonwealth law.

“ Quite often I hear people in the media say that the courts are too far removed from everyday society; obviously, they do not know you.”

Rockhampton Court House.

Mr Irwin also spokes of Mr Bradshaw’s pastime of being a “keen punter”.

“I have been told that when you were a clerk at Taroom you invested your winnings in your future life in the law by purchasing a hard cover copy of the Justices Acts of Queensland. I understand that item is still in your possession and I’m sure that it’s been referred to many times over the years.

“I’m also told that your sporting interests extend to being a keen and successful participant in the courthouse football tipping competition, and like me, you’re always keen, I hasten to add, during adjournments, to rush from court to find the

latest cricket score.

“And so the veteran stayer has passed the finishing post after a race well run.”