Pamela Mary Cleland

Pamela Mary Cleland was born on 14 October 1927 in Adelaide.[1]  She graduated from Walford House School in 1944.[2]  

 
While at the University of Adelaide, Pamela was the President of the Adelaide University Women’s Union in 1946.[3]  She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Arts in 1949.[4]  She initially trained as an artist by South Australian artists Dorritt Black and Jeffrey Smart and would exhibit her paintings in Adelaide and Britain.[5]

Pamela would return to the University of Adelaide to undertake a law degree, completing her Bachelor of Laws in 1956.[6]  Shortly after she joined Dr John Bray as part of 'Genders, Wilson & Bray'.[7]

In 1965 Pamela partnered with her brother, Peter, to start a practice working from her Waterfall Gully home.[8]  She became the first South Australian woman to join the independent Bar, and in 1973 formed Libra Chambers with Kevin Borick focusing on property division matters in family law, [9] before becoming a barrister in 1974.[10]

After her retirement in 1993, Pamela returned to painting, holding several exhibitions of her works.[11]

Pamela died on 24 December 2018, in Adelaide.[12]

Footnotes:

1. Saturday Journal 1927, 'Family Notices', Saturday Journal, 22 October, p. 29, viewed 24 Nov 2022, <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199276450>.

2. News 1944, 'School report Walford House School has successful year', News, 13 December, p. 4, viewed 24 Nov 2022,
<http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article129884424>.

3. News, 1948, 'Students to confer', News, 14 January, p. 7, viewed 24 Nov 2022, <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128387502>.

4. Calendar of the University of Adelaide 1950, Advertiser Printing Office, Adelaide, p. 79.

5. Adelaide AZ, n.d., 'Pam Cleland an artistic eccentric but skilled Adelaide legal world free spirit – from azaleas to ankle biting', Adelaide AZ, viewed 12 December 2022,
<https://adelaideaz.com/articles/pam-cleland-artistic-eccentric-but-skilled-free-spirit-of-adelaide-law-from-azaleas-to-ankle-biting> 

6. Calendar of the University of Adelaide for the year, 1960, The Griffin Press, Adelaide, p. 104.

7. Prest, W 1997, A portrait of John Bray: law, letters, life, Wakefield Press, Adelaide, p. 50.

8. Bulletin 2019, 'In honour: Remembering Pam Cleland: A trailblazing woman who was truly one of a kind', Bulletin (Law Society of South Australia), Adelaide, SA, Australia: Law Society of South Australia, 41(3), p. 37.

9. Bulletin 2019, 'In honour: Remembering Pam Cleland: A trailblazing woman who was truly one of a kind', Bulletin (Law Society of South Australia), Adelaide, SA, Australia: Law Society of South Australia, 41(3), p. 37.

10. Lofthouse, A & Smith, V 1982, Who’s who of Australian women, Methuen Australia, Sydney, p. 111.

11. Bulletin 2019, 'In honour: Remembering Pam Cleland: A trailblazing woman who was truly one of a kind', Bulletin (Law Society of South Australia), Adelaide, SA, Australia: Law Society of South Australia, 41(3), p. 37.

12. My Tributes, 2018, 'Cleland, Pamela Mary', My Tributes, viewed 27 January 2023,
<https://www.mytributes.com.au/notice/death-notices/cleland-pamela-mary/3118097/>.