Robin Rhodes Millhouse, QC (9 December 1929 – 28 April 2017) was, at various times, the 39th Attorney-General of South Australia, the first Australian Democrats parliamentarian, and the Chief Justice of both Kiribati and Nauru and a judge of the High Court of Tuvalu.
Early life and career
Millhouse was born in Adelaide, to lawyer Vivian Rhodes Millhouse (1902–1963), and Grace Lily (often Lilly) Millhouse, née Ayliffe (1900–1990). Millhouse gained an LLB from the University of Adelaide in 1951 after attending St Peter's College, Adelaide.
Political career
While practising as a barrister, Millhouse entered the South Australian House of Assembly on 7 May 1955 as the Liberal and Country League (LCL) member for Mitcham, a safe LCL seat in southeastern Adelaide. In the wake of the LCL's 1970 election loss, Millhouse was elected Deputy Leader of the Opposition on 2 June.
After the LCL also lost the 1973 state election, Millhouse resigned from the party on 18 March 1973 to form the Liberal Movement, along with former premier Steele Hall and a number of other senior LCL members, following growing dissatisfaction at the continuing conservatism of the LCL. He led the Liberal Movement at the 1975 state election, where the party received 18% of the vote, though only winning four seats.
In 1976, all Liberal Movement parliamentary members except for Millhouse returned to what by then had become the South Australia branch of the Liberal Party. Millhouse chose instead to form a new political party, the New LM,
Judicial career
South Australia
Millhouse was made a Queen's Counsel in 1979. upon accepting a position as a South Australian Supreme Court justice. He served on the Supreme Court until his retirement due to age in December 1999. to late 2010.
Following his retirement as Chief Justice of Kiribati, he served as a judge of High Court of Tuvalu from February 2014 and March 2015.
Personal life
He married Ann (died 1992) in 1957 and had three daughters and two sons. was an uncle.