Researching John Nimmo

Nimmo was born at Catrine, Ayrshire, Scotland, and was educated as an engineer. He arrived in Victoria in 1853, and was for some years town surveyor of Emerald Hill, of which municipality he was subsequently mayor, and which he represented in the Assembly from May 1877 to March 1889, when he was returned for Albert Park. Nimmo, who was a moderate Liberal and Protectionist, and a strong advocate of temperance, was Commissioner of Public Works in the Gillies Government from February 1886 to June 1889, when he resigned. He was for some time representative of the Government on the Melbourne Harbour Trust. At the general election in April 1892 Nimmo lost his seat.

After losing the 1892 election, Nimmo returned to Catrine and retired, dying there on 11 March 1904.

He attended the University of Melbourne, and while living there was a member of the Commonwealth Tax Board of Review (1947–54). He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1957 and was an acting justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1963. He was also Deputy President of the Trade Practices Tribunal (1966–73), Deputy President of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission (1964–69), Chairman of the Health Insurance Committee of Inquiry (1968–69), additional Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory (1969–74), Commissioner inquiring into unlawful land subdivisions south of Darwin (1974–75), and Royal Commissioner into matters relating to Norfolk Island (1975–76).

From 1969 to 1977 he was a judge of the Australian Industrial Court, moving to the Australian Capital Territory in 1977 to become a judge of the Federal Court, a position he held until 1980.

In 1970 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire, becoming a knight bachelor in 1972, when he was appointed Chief Justice of Fiji. He was also an Officer of the Order of St John of Jerusalem.