The Family Court commenced operations on 5 January 1976, following the introduction of the transformative Family Law Act 1975 by the Whitlam Government. It was Australia’s first federal court dedicated solely to helping families resolve their family law disputes. This was both innovative and highly controversial at the time.
To acknowledge the 50 years since the establishment of the Family Court of Australia, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (Division 1), conducted a ceremonial sitting in Melbourne on Friday, 20 February 2026.
A recording of the event can be viewed from the Court’s YouTube channel, and a short film about the Court’s history is available online.
The establishment of the Court marked a major shift in societal attitudes towards marriage breakdown, introducing the principle of no-fault divorce into Australian law. The Family Law Act also introduced other significant reforms, such as recognising the best interests of the child as the paramount consideration in parenting matters.
Despite its progressive foundations, the Court faced profound challenges over its history, including significant public and government scrutiny. This, however, has led to an ongoing culture of innovation to address the issues raised. The Court is considered a world-leader in its response to family violence, and the use of social science expertise, delivering therapeutic justice that responds to the needs of families and children.
The darkest time in the Court’s history, however, involved being the subject of a series of violent crimes committed by Leonard Warwick in the 1980s. His attacks targeted individual judges, their families, and the institution as a whole. In 2020, almost four decades later, Warwick was finally found guilty of multiple crimes, including the 1980 murder of Justice David Opas, the 1984 murder of Pearl Watson (wife of Justice Ray Watson), and the bombings of Justice Richard Gee’s home and the Court’s Parramatta registry.
The Hon Will Alstergren AO, Chief Justice, 2018 to present
“Through determination, innovation and integrity, the Court has supported over 5 million Australian families in their most challenging times. Over 180 Judges (past and present), together with CEOs, Registrars, Court Child Experts, and all other staff, should be incredibly proud of their contribution in helping families resolve their family law disputes, when they were unable to do so themselves.
To see the Court thrive as a superior court of record over 50 years is quite remarkable. Although often shrouded in controversy because of the emotive nature of the work, it has always been a world-leading and innovative Court with Judges who are incredibly committed to dispensing justice in the best interests of the child, with fair and equitable hearings.
