Griffith the Dantista

Abstract

Background By invitation, I contributed research text to the SCLQ’s public Exhibition, The Many Hats of Sir Samuel Griffith. Marking the centenary of Griffith’s passing, this eponymous Exhibition is long-running, 23.11.20-29.10.21. It questions the impact and legacy of Griffith’s legal history in seven standalone components. I authored two separate components within the Exhibition’s walk-around textual/object installation. COVID-19 has delayed the upload of the accompanying permanent online archive and the launch event by Federal Court Justice Andrew Greenwood (now 11.5.21). Contribution This major research contribution concerns the seventh component, ‘Griffith the Dantista’. It recognises Griffith’s four main translations and stresses Dante’s influence on Griffith’s remarkable life and enduring achievements – he was Dante’s first Australian translator. This component underlines Dante as a vital outlet and cultural interest for Griffith, particularly during his labours as Chief Justice of the highest courts of Queensland and Australia. It is innovative in relating to the installed rare-book objects/translations, and in stressing this literary dimension of Griffith. By contextualising Griffith’s Dantista contributions, this component offers valuable educational perspectives/resources for lawyers, academics, students and the public, and offers continuing legal history interest. Significance The Exhibition is significant for its public benefit aims and judicial-academic collaboration. This component is particularly notable given the coinciding anniversaries of Griffith’s and Dante’s deaths – Griffith’s 100th and Dante’s 700th. Queensland’s Italian Consul visited the Exhibition and adverted to Dante’s anniversary and this component’s excellence in his emailed congratulations to me. Accompanied by public lectures and Curator’s tours, the acclaim of this on-going Exhibition is attested to by its publicity, permanent online status, and continued attendance during COVID-19.