Bar in 1979. As a barrister, he represented many Aboriginal people in criminal trials, and was often instructed by the Aboriginal Legal Service. In 1987 Bellear was appointed as an assisting counsel to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. In 1993 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by Macquarie University. On 17 May 1996, Bellear was appointed a judge of the District Court of New South Wales, the first Indigenous person to be appointed to any court in Australia. He served as a judge until his death. During this time he mentored young Indigenous lawyers, and encouraged students to attend his courtroom. He did not try to remain in Sydney, instead preferring the rural circuit, where he could visit Aboriginal communities in regional centres, and bring students into his courtroom. Personal life In his later life, Bellear was diagnosed with peritoneal mesothelioma, contracted during his time with the Royal Australian Navy, when as an apprentice engineer he was exposed to asbestos fibers. Bellear died at his home on 15 March 2005, wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt. He was survived by his wife, two children Joanne and Kali (a third son, Malu died in his early twenties in 1996) and four grandchildren. The Government of New South Wales granted Bellear a state funeral, held at the Sydney Town Hall. It was attended by about 2000 guests, including Governor of New South Wales Marie Bashir and former Chief Justice of New South Wales Laurence Street. References External links Judge Bob Bellear & brother Sol, photo taken at the 30th anniversary dinner of the Aboriginal Medical Service (2001) 1944 births 2005 deaths Indigenous Australian people 20th-century Australian judges 21st-century Australian judges University of New South Wales Law School alumni Australian people of Vanuatuan descent Australian people of Solomon Islands descent Deaths from cancer in New South Wales Deaths from mesothelioma Australian mechanical engineers Royal Australian Navy sailors Judges of the District Court of NSW