Vale Mr Tom Pauling AO KC

It is with immeasurable sadness that CLANT acknowledges the passing of former Solicitor General, Northern Territory Administrator and CLANT Life Member Mr. Tom Pauling AO KC.

Tom was the “founding father” of CLANT. It was on his motion, passed at the Sheraton Hotel ballroom on Friday 22 August 1986, that CLANT was formed. Thereafter he remained a dear friend to CLANT, being an attendee and presenter at numerous Bali conferences since the first held in 1987. His immense talent as an actor saw him play a leading role in performances by the “Bali Players”, under the direction of Rex Wild KC, from the first play reading in 1995 and in nine performances thereafter. Tom’s self-written biography, extracted from the program notes for the 2007 reading of The Dock Brief by John Mortimer, sums up his life better than any other words could:

“Tom Pauling left Sydney for Darwin in 1970 and apart from running away to the theatre in Far North Queensland in 1974 has been there ever since. He established the independent bar in 1974 with Michael Maurice, and later Ian Barker. He proposed the motion for the formation of CLANT and is a life member. He married his love of the theatre to the law and has spent the rest of his life (so far) juggling these energies. If, as Shakespeare tells us through the melancholy Jaques, “All the world’s a stage”, Tom has been on it”.

Tom’s time on life’s stage was immense. He was a giant of the Northern Territory arts and legal communities, and his contribution to both will never be forgotten.

CLANT extends its deepest sympathy to Tessa, Fred, Zoe, the extended Pauling family and to all who loved Tom.

Vale.