Tony’s retirement draws a line under a career that encompasses over half a century of writing on trusts and succession law, as well as of making major contributions to law reform.

Tony Lee lectured at the University of Queensland from 1965 until 1989. Generations of students have testified to the intellectual excellence of his lectures. His influence on the development of trusts law is measured not only by the books and articles he wrote, but also by the impact that students taught by him have had on the administration of trusts law in common law jurisdictions around the world. In Queensland, his standing as a trust scholar is recognised by the annual WA Lee Equity Lecture held for the past 23 years. Previous lecturers have included the present Chief Justice of Australia, the Hon Susan Kiefel AC, and three other present or recently retired High Court of Australia justices.

That the Queensland Trusts Act 1973 and Succession Act 1981 are much superior in many respects to their counterparts in other States and Territories is explicable, at least in part, to Tony’s long-standing interest in reform in these areas of law. At the national level, he was prominent in promoting the adoption of uniform trustee investment legislation. The law of trusteeship – which for years was very much the ‘poor relation’ of the law of trusts – has been the principal beneficiary of his interest in reform and renewal.

Tony has been a constant source of inspiration for his co-editors of Ford and Lee. I will miss his reminders that the book was not primarily written for High Court judges or for city megafirms, but for the overworked sole practitioner who is encountering a trusts issue for the first time. I will also miss the necessary admonition against finding significance in every recent trusts decision. We are liable to forget, due to the outpourings of legal databases, the truism most cases are simple applications of established principle. Most of all, I will miss the kindly encouragement delivered in the beautiful Welsh accent that he has had the good sense, in over half a century of living in Australia, never to lose.

Diolch (thanks)!