Heydon was called to the bar in 1875, building a successful practice in commercial and common law. He was a candidate for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Argyle at the 1877 election, but was defeated by 337 votes (23.4%).[2][a] He was a candidate at the 1878 East Maitland by-election, but was again unsuccessful, defeated by 127 votes (19.6%).[4] His practice as a barrister included prosecuting Peter Howe, a member of the Legislative Assembly, who was convicted with James Miller of conspiracy to defraud the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company.[5][6] He was appointed an acting judge of the Supreme Court in April 1892,[7] and was the trial judge of a manager and auditor who were also charged with conspiracy to defraud the Australian Mercantile Loan and Guarantee Company.[8]
In August 1896 he volunteered to take on the task of consolidating the statute law of New South Wales, consisting of nearly 1400 acts, a task that had not been completed by a royal commission. The task would take Heydon 6 years to complete.[11] In November 1896 he was appointed Queen's Counsel.[12] He resigned from the Legislative Council on 22 March 1898, having been appointed as an acting judge of Supreme Court,[13] but was re-appointed on 10 May once those duties had concluded.[9][14]
In 1918 the Judges Retirement Act 1918 (NSW), operated to retrospectively impose a retirement age of 70,[17] forcing Heydon, Ernest Docker and Grantley Fitzhardinge to retire on 31 December 1918.[18]
Personal life and death
On 8 September 1880 he married Miriam Josepha Makinson, with whom he had two sons. Miriam died in 1896 and in 1909 he married Sybil Russell, a 28 year old art student.
^Frazer, Andrew (2003). "Ch 4 Charles Gilbert Heydon (1905-1918)". In Patmore, Greg (ed.). Laying the Foundations of Industrial Justice: The Presidents of the Industrial Relations Commission of NSW, 1902-1998. Federation Press. ISBN9781862874633.