The former governor of Victoria and Supreme Court judge died in his sleep, leaving a considerable legacy in his wake.  

Sir James was born in Melbourne, in 1931, to Antonio and Regina Gobbo.

Four years later, his family migrated to Cittadella, in the province of Padua, where they remained for a further three years before making their definitive return to Australia. 

Without knowing a word of English, little ‘Giacomo’ (James) started school at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in West Melbourne and went on to St Joseph in North Melbourne.

In 1944, he continued his education at Xavier College, where he completed high school.

He graduated with a degree in law from the University of Melbourne, and in 1951, he was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship from the University of Oxford, where he undertook a Master in Literature.

In 1957, he married Shirley Lewis, with whom he had five children.

Passionate about the history and wellbeing of the Italian community in Australia, Sir James – together with other graduates from Melbourne University – founded the Immigration Reform Group in 1959, with the aim of abolishing the White Australia Policy.

After working as a barrister and a Queen’s Counsel for several years, Sir James became a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1978.

Sir James continued to fight for the fair representation of multicultural groups throughout his career, contributing to the National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia and the birth of the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

In recognition of his extraordinary service to the state of Victoria, he was appointed Governor of Victoria in 1997, on the advice of Victorian Premier  Jeff Kennet – becoming the first Australian state governor of Italian descent.

From 2000 to 2006, Sir James was Commissioner for Italy for the Victorian government.

He was also the president of CO.AS.IT. Victoria and held various positions on several boards and foundations.

A champion of multiculturalism, Sir James was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the 1982 New Year Honours and was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1993.

He was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001.

Across his brilliant career, Sir James never failed to pay homage to his parents and their peers; other courageous migrants who travelled far from their home countries in the hope of creating better lives for their families.

He always encouraged new generations to see the value of their cultural heritage, repeatedly stating “if you don’t know who you are and where you come from, it’s impossible to contribute to the society in which you live”.

These values, instilled in him by his own parents, helped him to forge a more welcoming, multicultural Australia for successive generations of migrants.  

Sir James is a shining example of courage and determination – a man who simultaneously honoured his Italian heritage and sought to improve socio-cultural issues in Australia – all the while displaying his keen sense of morality, justice and generosity.