The Hon. Keith John Austin Asche AC

Austin Asche served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory from 1986 to 1987 and was Chief Justice from 1987 to 1993.

His Honour served in the Royal Australian Air Force from 1944 to 1946.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Laws degrees from the University of Melbourne and was called to the Queensland Bar in 1951 where he practiced until 1954 when he was called to the Victorian Bar where he practiced until 1975.

His Honour was a part time lecturer in Family Law at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology from 1968 to 1975 and at the School of Social Studies at the University of Melbourne from 1964 to 1975.

Justice Asche was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 1972 and was the first judge appointed to the newly formed Family Court of Australia in 1976. From 1985 to 1986 he served as Acting Chief Justice of the Court.

His Honour was the President of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology from 1981 to 1983 and Vice President from 1977 to 1981. He was Chancellor of Deakin University from 1983 to 1987 and Chancellor of the Northern Territory University from 1989 to 1993.

Justice Asche served as Chairman of the Northern Territory Parole Board from 1987 to 1993 and upon retirement from the Supreme Court bench in 1993 was appointed Administrator of the N.T. until 1997.

Justice Asche was an Honorary Colonel in NORFORCE and Chief Scout of the Northern Territory from 1993 to 1997.

His Honour was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1994 and a Knight of the Most Venerable Order Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in 1993.

His Honour still resides in Darwin and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Northern Territory University.

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