Biography
Born in Cottesloe, Western Australia, Burt's great-grandfather, Sir Archibald Burt, was Chief Justice of Western Australia from 1861 to 1879, while his grandfather, The Honourable Septimus Burt KC, was Attorney-General and Agent-General when responsible government was granted to Western Australia in December 1890. Burt was educated at Guildford Grammar School and later studied law at the University of Western Australia. During World War II he served in the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.
After being admitted to the Bar in 1941, Burt gained his skills as a Queen's Counsel in 1959, and in 1961 founded the independent Bar in Western Australia. With others, he established Bar Chambers in 1962. He was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia in 1969, a position he held until 1977 when he was promoted to Chief Justice. He retired in 1988.
Burt was afforded a state funeral on his death in 2004. He is buried at Karrakatta Cemetery. The Francis Burt Chambers located in Allendale Square, Perth, and the Francis Burt Law Education Centre and Museum in Stirling Gardens are both named in his honour.
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