A Wollongong magistrate is hanging up his robes after a remarkable career of 33 years presiding on the bench of New South Wales courts - with a long stint in children's courts.
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Celebrating his last day with a morning tea in the courthouse on Tuesday, Christopher McRobert reflected on the rewarding - and sometimes frustrating - aspects of his colourful career.
Four months after being appointed as a magistrate of the local court in 1991, Mr McRobert expressed his interest in a vacancy at the Illawarra children's court circuit.
He remained in the role for almost 12 years, imposing orders for the children that came before him that would hopefully improve their lives through rehabilitation.
"One of the kids I was dealing with in care proceedings was using heroin, she was only 14 ... I kept making orders saying she had to go to rehabilitation," Mr McRobert said.
"She ignored them and eventually ended up getting charged with self administering a prohibited drug.
"I immediately said, 'Right, I'm refusing you bail.' I simply kept adjourning ... until eventually we got her into Father Chris Riley's program (Youth Off the Streets).
"They had an award ceremony for the kids who had been there. When this girl was on stage getting her prize she said, 'I want my magistrate up here'.
"She ran over and gave me a big hug and said, 'This man saved my life'."
But for many, there is only so much the court could do. Mr McRobert said the children's court operated from the bottom, not the top - with a need for earlier intervention or more resources in child protection.
"We got the kids who were already seriously damaged," he said.
"If we had a decent program of early intervention and it was properly funded ... then we would have far fewer kids going off the rails and ultimately ending up in children's court."
One frustration in the local court Mr McRobert experienced was when he tried to separate a masked robber from his criminal family by banning him from the area.
"I included a parole condition that he was not to live in the Illawarra. In other words, I was trying to break the cycle," Mr McRobert said.
"If he got away from his family, he might have had half a chance."
Mr McRobert said his decision was appealed in the district court and he went back to living with his associates.
"The next time I saw him, he was on a committal for murder," he said.
After graduating from Manly Boys High School, Mr McRobert was admitted as a solicitor in 1973, saying he was "pretty slow to do it because I spent too much time playing in jazz bands".
He began a colourful career, acquiring his own legal practice in the small town of Coonabarabran where he spent five and a half years, before moving to Port Macquarie.
Mr McRobert then became the first in-house lawyer for Harry Triguboff of Meriton apartments, which was "entertaining to say the least", also working for Frank Lowy at Westfield.
Mr McRobert worked as a magistrate as long as he was legally allowed, the mandatory retirement age being 75 years.
He was then appointed as an acting magistrate, working part-time for a further three years and officially retiring a few days shy of his 78th birthday this weekend, which he will spend with his wife and four daughters.
Mr McRobert is still in touch with his musical side, his main outlet being the Lamplighters Male Choir with the Arcadians Theatre Group.
Having performed at many jazz festivals, he hopes to get back into playing the double bass during retirement.
Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
