Judge Stretton.

If you have ever wondered why Victoria’s bushfire arrangements are the way they are… then look no further than Judge Leonard (Len) Edward Bishop Stretton.

Len was born in 1893 and initially grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Brunswick, but from the age of six he had a rural upbringing at Campbellfield, just north of the city.

The family returned to the northern suburbs when his father won Tattersall’s Melbourne Cup sweepstake in 1902.

He was, by his own admission, “born only a lifetime after the settlement of Melbourne” and felt at home with working-class people.

Len attended Moreland State School and University High School at Parkville and later studied law at the University of Melbourne.

He attempted several times to volunteer for military service during World War One but was prevented for medical reasons.

After graduating from University, Stretton practised for ten years as a solicitor and, in 1929, signed the roll as a member of the Victorian Bar. In 1937 he was sworn in as youngest ever County Court Judge.

From 1938, he was involved in the formation of the Workers Compensation Board of Victoria including a role as Chairman.

Stretton conducted several major Royal Commissions, but three in particular shaped the way Victorian forests and bushfire were managed for decades to come.

1. 1939 – Black Friday Bushfires (See: They had not lived long enough).
2. 1944 – Yallourn Fires (See: Formation of the CFA).
3. 1946 – Grazing (See: Maisie Fawcett and Judge Stretton).

Judge Stretton also served as an acting justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria from 1951 but declined an offer to hold the post on a permanent basis.

He was known for his wit and as a champion of the underdog and was noted for harsh sentencing for serious crimes, but his strong sense of social justice in cases before him.

On 31 May 1956, Stretton was appointed Order of St Michael and St George – Companion (CMG) for his role as Chairman of the Victorian Court of General Sessions.

He retired in August 1964 and died in East Melbourne on 16 May 1967, aged 73.

https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stretton-leonard-edward-len-11793