About

Barristers’ Chambers

Bar Chambers was established in 1964 as the first barristers chambers at the independent Bar in South Australia. Since that time, its members have been leaders of the independent Bar dedicated to providing exceptional service to their clients and the profession.

Bar Chambers is one of the largest chambers in South Australia, with specialist advocates in all areas of practice. To find out more about the members of Bar Chambers and the areas in which they practice, please click the Members or Expertise pages above.

The buildings

The original Bar Chambers building at 34 Carrington Street was built in 1866 originally as a house for William Cooper, public servant.

It is constructed of bluestone rubble with restrained stuccoed detail and red brick trim. In 1964, the building was purchased for the purpose of conversion into a set of barristers’ chambers. The building is listed in the City of Adelaide Heritage Plaques Project and is also entered in the Register of the Australian Heritage Commission National Estate.

In subsequent years, additions and alterations have been made to expand and improve the amenities offered to members.

In 2022, the property at 38-40 Carrington Street was purchased and, in 2025, after extensive renovations and redesign, its 1^st and 2^nd floors opened as the extension of Bar Chambers, accommodating room for up to 8 additional barristers.

History

Bar Chambers was the first barristers’ chambers to be established in South Australia.

The inaugural meeting of the South Australian Bar Association was held on 23 December 1964 with the four founding members, Christopher Legoe, Jack Elliott, Howard Zelling and Robin Millhouse subscribing to the Bar Roll. Up until that time, the profession in SA was ‘fused’ with law graduates being admitted as both barristers and solicitors.

The initial step towards instituting the State’s first separate set of barristers’ chambers also came in December 1964, when Howard Zelling and Chris Legoe (both later silks and Supreme Court judges) paid the deposit and signed the contract to purchase the premises at 34 Carrington Street, Adelaide for the purposes of a set of chambers – what was, some months later, to become Bar Chambers. Traditionally, it is from this year that Chambers takes its date.

In February 1965 sale of the building was settled on and thereafter renovations commenced.

On 17 September 1965, the first four barristers commenced occupation at, and practice from, Bar Chambers: Chris Legoe, Robin Millhouse, Michael Detmold and Keith Sangster.

In 2025, Bar Chambers undertook a significant redevelopment and expansion of Chambers by acquiring and refurbishing the building at 38-40 Carrington Street and fully integrating it with the original premises. The expansion enabled Chambers to grow its membership and provide modern, spacious facilities to members and clients, while preserving the history of the site which was so integral to the foundation of the Independent Bar in South Australia.

Previous members

^†Deceased ¹Associate member

^†The Hon H E Zelling KC¹ (purchased building)

1964 – 1978

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
The Hon C J Legoe KC (purchased building and founder member)

1964 – 1978

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
^†The Hon R R Millhouse KC (founder member)

1964 – 1982

Former Attorney-General of South Australia, Justice of the Supreme Court of SA, Chief Justice of Kiribati and Naura and judge of the High Court of Tuvalu
Prof M Detmold (founder member)

1965 – 1968

Professor of Law, University of Adelaide
^†The Hon A K Sangster KC (founder member)

1965 – 1970

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
^†The Hon R F Mohr

1966 – 1970

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
Mr B H Burns

1970 – 1972

Former Judge of the District Court of SA and Deputy President of the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal
^†Mr F Boylan

1971 – 1972

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
Mr A V Russell KC

1971 – 1980

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
Mr M Noblet

1971 – 1973

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
^†Mr A Hodge

1971 – 1975
The Hon M David KC

1973 – 1994

Former Judge of the District Court of SA; Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
The Hon D N Angel KC

1975 – 1989

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of NT
Mr C H Cocks

1975 – 1975
Mr A S Martin

1975 – 2003
Mr S W Tilmouth KC

1975 – 1977

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
Mr N J W Birchall

1975 – 1979

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
Mr G R Noble

1976 – 1979
Mr D F Bright

1976 – 1988

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
^†The Hon P J Rice QC

1976 – 1983

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of NT
The Hon H C Williams KC

1977 – 1995

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
Mr Brendan M Burley

1977 – 1987

Former Master of the Supreme Court of SA
The Hon J W von Doussa KC

1978 – 1981

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA and the Federal Court of Australia
^†The Hon J W Perry KC

1980 – 1988

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
The Hon K P Duggan AM KC

1980 – 1989

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
The Hon T A Gray QC

1982 – 2000

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
Mr Martin Hoile

1982 – 2010
¹The Hon B M Debelle AO KC

1983 – 1990

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
Mr Stephen Apps

1987 – 2008
Mr D E Clayton KC

1988 – 2003

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
Mr S T Lane

1989 – 2003
The Hon C M Branson AC KC

1989 – 1994

Former Justice of the Federal Court of Australia; Former Human Rights Commissioner
¹The Hon J R Sulan KC

1990 – 1997

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
The Hon Justice Melissa A Perry

1992 – 2006

Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, Sydney
Mr I C Robertson SC

1994 – 2006
His Honour Judge Michael Evans

1994 – 2004

Chief Judge of the District Court
Mr Nigel Wilson

1995 – 2010
^†The Hon Justice M F Blue

1996 – 2011

Former Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
The Hon Justice K Nicholson

1997 – 2003

Former Judge of the District Court of SA; Justice of the Supreme Court of SA
Mr M L Abbott AO KC

2000 – 2007
Mr S A Millsteed KC

2003 – 2004

Former Judge of the District Court of SA
Mr H R Hassan

2004 – 2005
Ms S H Downey

2006 – 2014
¹Mr M A W Birchall

1967 – 2015
The Hon Justice S V David

2010 – 2015

Justice of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of South Australia (former Judge of the District Court of SA 2015 – 2021)
The Hon J B Teague MP

2005 – 2018

Member of the South Australian House of Assembly
Deputy President P A Britten-Jones

2006 – 2018

Division Head of the General Division, Administrative Appeals Tribunal, Melbourne
Her Honour Judge J M Fuller

1997 – 2019

Judge of the District Court of SA
The Hon Justice M C Livesey

2003 – 2020

Justice of the Supreme Court and President of the Court of Appeal of South Australia
His Honour Judge M R Burnett

2003 – 2020

Judge of the District Court of SA
¹Ms B J Powell KC

1991 – 2020
His Honour Judge K G Handshin

2014 – 2023

Judge of the District Court of SA
Her Honour Judge S J Mackenzie

2019 – 2025

Judge of the District Court of SA

Members

To browse Bar Chambers’ full directory of members, please click the ‘View members’ button.

View members

Contact

To contact the Clerks of Chambers, please click the ‘Contact us’ button.