Percy Spender

Sir Percy Spender
Spender in 1940
President of the International Court of Justice
In office
6 February 1964 – 5 February 1967
Preceded byBohdan Winiarski
Succeeded byJosé Bustamante y Rivero
Judge of the International Court of Justice
In office
6 February 1958 – 5 February 1967
Preceded byJohn Read
Succeeded byCharles Onyeama
5th Ambassador of Australia to
the United States
In office
31 May 1951 – 1 January 1958
Preceded byNorman Makin
Succeeded byHoward Beale
Minister for External Affairs
In office
19 December 1949 – 26 April 1951
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byBert Evatt
Succeeded byRichard Casey
Minister for the Army
In office
27 October 1940 – 7 October 1941
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Arthur Fadden
Preceded byPhilip McBride
Succeeded byFrank Forde
Treasurer of Australia
In office
14 March 1940 – 27 October 1940
Prime MinisterRobert Menzies
Preceded byRobert Menzies
Succeeded byArthur Fadden
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Warringah
In office
23 October 1937 – 28 April 1951
Preceded byArchdale Parkhill
Succeeded byFrancis Bland
Personal details
Born
Percy Claude Spender

(1897-10-05)5 October 1897
Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
Died3 May 1985(1985-05-03) (aged 87)
Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyIndependent (1937–1938)
UAP (1938–1944)
Independent (1944–1945)
Liberal (from 1945)
Spouses
(m. 1925⁠–⁠1970)
Averil Trenerry
(m. 1975⁠–⁠1976)
Eileen Esdaile
(m. 1983)
RelationsDale Spender (great-niece)
John Spender (son)
Allegra Spender (granddaughter)
Children2 sons
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
OccupationPolitician, diplomat, jurist

Sir Percy Claude Spender KCVO KBE QC (5 October 1897 – 3 May 1985) was an Australian politician, diplomat, and judge. He served in the House of Representatives from 1937 to 1951, including as a cabinet minister under Robert Menzies and Arthur Fadden. He was later Ambassador to the United States (1951–1958) and a member of the International Court of Justice (1958–1967), including as president of the court from 1964 to 1967.