Published on: 6 September 2016



The Hon Wayne Martin AC, Chief Justice of Western Australia, spoke to the Senior School staff and students on Thursday morning. His theme was the vital importance of exercising the power of choice after careful thought and consideration.

He spoke about weighing up the pluses and minuses of situations and evaluating the likely consequences of actions, as compared to simply drifting along and doing things without thinking them through.

The Hon Wayne Martin AC is a Christ Church old boy and current parent at the School. In reflecting on what makes a good man he said,

“A good man respects others and is always aware of other people’s needs and feelings and acts in such a way as to avoid hurting others – either physically or emotionally.

“A good man uses his skills and talents to improve the world in which we live by helping others – and the range of ways in which that can be achieved is only limited by your imagination.”

He gave examples of good men by referring to his classmates, a doctor who has completed world breaking research, a surgeon who leads a team of doctors to Africa each year, a world-class sportsman, a dedicated teacher and a farmer who has fed the world.

“Good men think before they act, they decide the course of their lives consciously and deliberately – they do what they think is right, not what is easy or comfortable,” he said.

“They don’t take the line of least resistance, they look for challenges and for opportunities to make a difference.”

Many thanks to the Centre for Ethics for inviting The Hon Wayne Martin AC to speak with the students.