Old Newingtonian, The Honorable Roger Gyles AO KC (ON 1954) sadly passed away on 2 March 2025, following a short hospital stay. 

The former NSW Supreme Court judge, Federal Court judge, royal commissioner and special prosecutor earned an academic scholarship at Newington College, where he was educated between 1950 and 1954. As well as excelling academically, he was an avid sportsman on the cricket, athletics and rugby fields. In rugby, he played for the Second XVs. 

As reported in his fitting obituary by Malcolm Brown (ON 1964) in the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Gyles built on the foundations of his Newington education to pursue an illustrious career, largely spent advocating for others and fighting against corruption. Not only did he conduct a royal commission into corruption within the building industry during 1990-1992, but later in his 70s became ‘chairman of Transparency International Australia, a non-government organisation dedicated to fighting the one thing that had taken up so much of his attention during his long career: corruption.’  

Other career highlights included:  

• 1973: Appointed as junior counsel in the royal commission into allegations of infiltration of organised crime into licensed clubs. 

• 1976: Became a member of the Commonwealth Administrative Review Tribunal. 

• 1987: Became president of the Australian Bar Association. 

• 1989: Served a term as an acting NSW Supreme Court judge. 

•  2000: Became an Officer of the Order of Australia (OA) for service to the legal profession. 

• 2001: Appointed as an additional judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT. 

• 2003: Appointed deputy president of the Australian Competition Tribunal. 

• 2005: Became a presidential member of the Australian Administrative Appeals Tribunal. 

Mr Gyles was born in Melbourne in 1938 and is survived by his four children Mandy, Kirsty, Anna and Lachlan, his sister Felicity, and his 11 grandchildren. His wife Alison passed in 2024. Newington College extends its sincere condolences to his friends and family.