Fellows of Senate
Sir Percival Halse Rogers KBE
Sir Percival Halse Rogers KBE was a Fellow of Senate elected by the graduates of the University of Sydney from 1929 to 1941. Senate elected him Deputy Chancellor from 1934 to 1936 and Chancellor from 1936 to 1941.
Profile
(1883 - 1945)
KBE, BA Sydney BCL Oxf
Fellow of Senate 1929 - 1941, including election by Senate as
– Deputy Chancellor 1934 - 1936
– Chancellor 1936 - 1941
His background
Percival Halse Rogers was born in 1883 at Gunnedah, NSW.
He was educated at Newington College and at the University of Sydney where he graduated BA in 1905. He was the second Rhodes Scholar for New South Wales, attending Worcester College, Oxford from 1905 to 1908, where he graduated BCL.
Percival Halse Rogers in 1905, photo, The Sydney Mail, 2 August 1905, Google News Archive.
His career
On his return to Sydney, he was first appointed associate to Chief Justice (Sir) William Cullen and was later admitted to the Bar on 1911. At the Bar, he soon established a large common law practice. In 1926, he was appointed Kings Counsel. In 1928, Halse Rogers was appointed to the bench of the Supreme Court, presiding in the Commercial Causes Court. He also served as Royal Commissioner on four occasions.
Halse Rogers was a Director of the Sydney Hospital (1930-45), Chairman of the Metropolitan Hospitals Contribution Fund, a member of the Fairbridge Farm Schools of New South Wales and Chairman of Directors at the University Club.
He represented the University at the 1937 Congress of Universities of the British Empire held at Cambridge. He was appointed KBE in 1939.
The biographical notes on the Chancellors contain information derived from a variety of sources including: Australia’s First: A History of the University of Sydney; University News; University of Sydney Archives; and Lawlink NSW: Law and History.
Mr Justice Halse Rogers in 1932, photo, The Sydney Mail, 4 May 1932, Google News Archive.
Sir Percival Halse Rogers, photo G3_224_0840, University of Sydney Archives.
His membership of Senate
Sir Percival Halse Rogers KBE was a Fellow of Senate elected by the graduates of the University of Sydney from 1929 to 1941. Senate elected him Deputy Chancellor from 1934 to 1936 and Chancellor from 1936 to 1941.
From left Yeoman Bedell William Barber, Chancellor Sir Percival Halse Rogers and Sir Mungo MacCallum in 1938, photo G3_224_0766_2, University of Sydney Archives.
Chancellor Sir Percival Halse Rogers with Lord Nuffield (LLD ad eundem gradum), 21 February 1938, photo, Hood Collection, Mitchell Pictures, State Library of NSW.