Admiralty & Maritime Cases - High Court of Australia 

Alphabetical listing

A selection of decisions (with links to full text where available)

A

Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd v The King [1912] HCA 58; (1912) 15 CLR 65
Adelaide Stevedoring Co Ltd v Forst [1940] HCA 45; (1940) 64 CLR 538
Aichhorn & Co KG v The Ship (MV) 'Talabot' [1974] HCA 21; (1974) 132 CLR 449
Aichhorn & Co KG v The Ship (MV) 'Talabot' (1974) 48 ALJR 403
Aichhorn & Co KG & Switzerland General Insurance Co Ltd v The Ship (MV) 'Talabot' (1974) 3 ALR 576
Asiatic Steam Navigation Co Ltd v Commonwealth (1956) 96 CLR 397 
Australasian United Steam Navigation Co Ltd v Hiskens [1914] HCA 56; (1914) 18 CLR 646
Australasian United Steam Navigation Co Ltd v Shipping Control Board [1945] HCA 45; (1945) 71 CLR 508
Australian Coastal Shipping Commission v Averell [1969] HCA 38; (1969) 122 CLR 348
Australian Coastal Shipping Commission v O'Reilly [1962] HCA 8; (1962) 107 CLR 46
Australian Coastal Shipping Commission v PV 'Wyuna' [1964] HCA 76; (1964) 111 CLR 303
Australian Commonwealth Shipping Board v Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia [1925] HCA 27; (1925) 36 CLR 442
Australian Shipping Board v Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia [1925] HCA 3; (1925) 35 CLR 462
Australian Steamships Pty Ltd v Abbott [1927] HCA 7; (1927) 39 CLR 148
Australian Steamships Pty Ltd v Dignan [1931] HCA 19; (1931) 45 CLR 188
Australian Steamships Pty Ltd v Malcolm [1914] HCA 73; (1914) 19 CLR 298
Australian Steamships Pty Ltd v Murphy [1934] HCA 23; (1934) 50 CLR 568
Australian Wheat Board v Reardon Smith Line Ltd [1954] HCA 27; (1954) 91 CLR 233

B

Baggermaatschappij Boz & Kalis BV (T/A Westham Dredging Co) v Australian Shipping Commission (1980) 30 ALR 387
Balmain New Ferry Co Ltd v Robertson [1906] HCA 83; (1906) 4 CLR 379
Baltic Shipping Co v Dillon (The Ship Mikhail Lermontov) [1993] HCA 4; (1993) 176 CLR 344
Bergl (Aust) Ltd v Moxon Lighterage Co Ltd [1920] HCA 41; (1920) 28 CLR 194
Bistricic v Rokov [1976] HCA 54; (1976) 135 CLR 552
Blunden v Commonwealth [2003] HCA 73; (2003) 203 ALR 189
Board of Management of the Agricultural Bank of Tasmania v Brown [1957] HCA 57; (1957) 97 CLR 503
Bonser v La Macchia [1969] HCA 31; (1969) 122 CLR 177
BP Australia Ltd v Bissaker [1987] HCA 24; (1987) 163 CLR 106
Bridge Shipping Pty Ltd v Grand Shipping SA [1991] HCA 45; (1991) 173 CLR 231
Brisbane Shipwrights' Provident Union v Heggie [1906] HCA 4; (1906) 3 CLR 686
Broken Hill Pty Co Ltd v Wanless [1972-73] ALR 875
Bruhn v Australian Steamships Pty Ltd [1922] HCA 49; (1922) 31 CLR 136
Burns Philip & Co Ltd v Gillespie Bros Pty Ltd [1947] HCA 3; (1947) 74 CLR 148
Burns Philip & Co Ltd v Myrhe [1934] HCA 31; (1934) 51 CLR 463
Burns Philip & Co Ltd v Nelson & Robertson Pty Ltd (1958) 98 CLR 495
Burns Philp & Co Ltd v West Australian Steam Navigation ; (1923) 33 CLR 135

C

Caltex Oil (Australia) Pty Ltd v The Dredge 'Willemstad' [1976] HCA 65; (1976) 136 CLR 529
Carmichael Rail Network Pty Ltd v BBC Chartering Carriers GmbH & Co KG [2024] HCA 4
China Ocean Shipping Co v South Australia [1979] HCA 57; (1979) 145 CLR 172
Clarke v Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd [1914] HCA 29; (1914) 18 CLR 142
Clements v Bull [1953] HCA 61; (1953) 88 CLR 572
Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association v Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia [1923] HCA 40; (1923) 33 CLR 297
Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association v Waterside Workers' Federation (Aust) [1946] HCA 31; (1946)
Commonwealth v Australian Commonwealth Shipping Board [1926] HCA 39; (1926) 39 CLR 1
Commonwealth v Huon Channel & Peninsula Steamship Co Ltd [1918] HCA 18; (1918) 24 CLR 385
Commonwealth v Limerick Steamship Co Ltd [1924] HCA 50; (1924) 35 CLR 69
Commonwealth v Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners [1922] HCA 31; (1922) 31 CLR 1
Commonwealth v Owner of Motor Vessel 'Armadale' [1947] HCA 18; (1947) 75 CLR 628
Compagnie Des Messageries Maritimes v Wilson [1954] HCA 62; (1954) 94 CLR 577
Con-Stan Industries of Australia Pty Ltd v Norwich Winterthur Insurance (Australia) Ltd [1986] HCA 14; (1986) 160 CLR 226
Cuming Smith & Co Pty Ltd v Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners ; (1905) 2 CLR 735

D

Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Co Ltd v Hankinson [1967] HCA 10; (1967) 117 CLR 19
Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Co Ltd v Hussey [1959] HCA 55; (1959) 102 CLR 482
Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Co Ltd v Jacobsen [1945] HCA 22; (1945) 70 CLR 635
Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Co Ltd v Long [1957] HCA 26; (1957) 97 CLR 36
Day v Yates [1931] HCA 5; (1931) 45 CLR 32
Dillon v Baltic Shipping Co [1991] HCA 37; (1991) 102 ALR

E

Eastern Asia Navigation Co Ltd v Fremantle Harbour Trust Commissioners and the Commonwealth of Australia [1951] HCA 7; (1951) 83 CLR 353
Evans v Darling Island Stevedoring Co Ltd 13/04/1954 HCt

F

F Kanematsu & Co Ltd v The Ship 'Shahzada' [1956] HCA 57; (1956) 96 CLR 477
Faith Shipping Co SA v The Ship 'Mardina Importer' (1982) 42 ALR 484
Federal Steam Navigation Co Ltd v J Fenwick & Co Pty Ltd [1943] HCA 42; (1943) 68 CLR 553
Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia v Belfast & Koroit Steam Navigation Co Ltd [1918] HCA 19; (1918) 24 CLR 462
Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1922] HCA 7; (1922) 30 CLR 144
Ferrier v Wilson [1906] HCA 77; (1906) 4 CLR 785
Fisher v The Ship 'Oceanic Grandeur' [1972] HCA 51; (1972) 127 CLR 312
Fowles v Eastern & Australian Steamship Co Ltd [1913] HCA 31; (1913) 17 CLR 149
Frost ; (2002) 209 CLR 509

G

Geelong Harbour Trust Commissioners v Gibbs, Bright & Co [1970] HCA 16; (1970) 122 CLR 504
Gerard, Captain & Owners of the Ship v Hipkins (1934) 8 ALJR 344
Gibbs v Mercantile Mutual Insurance (Australia) Ltd [2003] HCA 39; (2003) 199 ALR 497
Goldsworthy Mining Ltd v Commissioner of Taxation (Cth) [1973] HCA 7; (1973) 128 CLR 199
Grajewski  v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2019]  HCA 8 
Great China Metal Industries Co Ltd v Malaysian International Shipping Corporation, Berhad (1999) 196 CLR 161
Gurnett v Macquarie Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd [1955] HCA 63; (1955) 95 CLR 99
Gurnett v Macquarie Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd [No 2] [1956] HCA 29;

H

Huddart Parker Ltd v Cotter [1942] HCA 34; (1942) 66 CLR 624
Huddart Parker & Co Pty Ltd v Ship 'Mill Hill' [1950] HCA 43; (1950) 81 CLR 502
Hume ; (1926) 38 CLR 441

I

Island Maritime Limited v Filipowski; Kulkarni v Filipowski [2006] HCA 30

J

James Patrick & Co Pty Ltd v Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd [1938] HCA 22; (1938) 60 CLR 650
Joyce v Australasian United Steam Navigation Co Ltd [1939] HCA ; (1939) 62 CLR 160

K

Kalibia (SS), Owners of v Wilson [1910] HCA 77; (1910) 11 CLR 689
Keane v Australian Steamships Pty Ltd [1929] HCA 5; (1929) 41 CLR 484
Kirmani v Captain Cook Cruises Pty Ltd [No 1] [1985] HCA 8; (1985) 159 CLR 351
Kirmani v Captain Cook Cruises Pty Ltd; Green, Third Party [No ; (1985) 159 CLR 461

L

L W Smith Pty Ltd v McErlane [1962] HCA 32; (1962) 107 CLR 368
Lady Carrington Steamship Co Ltd v Commonwealth [1921] HCA 49; (1921) 29 CLR 596
Laemthong International Lines Co Ltd v BPS Shipping Ltd [1997] HCA 55; (1997) 190 CLR 181
Lawrence v Huddart Parker Ltd [1930] HCA 9; (1930) 43 CLR 440
Liosatos v Australian National Line [1964] HCA 43; (1964) 111

M

McArthur v Williams [1936] HCA 10; (1936) 55 CLR 324
McGregor v Huddart Parker Ltd [1919] HCA 28; (1919) 26 CLR 336
McIlwraith McEacharn Ltd v Shell Co of Australia Ltd [1945] HCA 11; (1945) 70 CLR 175
McKenzie v William Holyman & Sons Pty Ltd [1939] HCA 17; (1939) 61 CLR 584
McKernan v Fraser [1931] HCA 54; (1931) 46 CLR 343
McRae v Commonwealth Disposals Commission (1951) 84 CLR 377
Marine Board of Hobart v Commonwealth [1915] HCA 43; (1915) 20 CLR 15
Marine Board of Launceston v Launceston Corporation [1955] HCA 17; (1955) 93 CLR 472
Marine Board of Launceston v Minister of State for Navy [1945] HCA 42; (1945) 70 CLR 518
Marine Board of Launceston v The King [1924] HCA 2; (1924) 33 CLR 142
Maritime Insurance Co Ltd v Geelong Harbour Trust Commissioners [1908] HCA 37; (1908) 6 CLR 194
Melbourne Harbour Trust Commissioners v Colonial Sugar Refining Co Ltd [1925] HCA 15; (1925) 36 CLR 230
Merchant Service Guild of A/asia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1913] HCA 40; (1913) 16 CLR 664
Merchant Service Guild of A/asia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1920] HCA 39; (1920) 27 CLR 560
Merchant Service Guild of A/asia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [No 1] [1920] HCA 40; (1920) 28 CLR 278
Merchant Service Guild of A/asia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [No 2] [1920] HCA 55; (1920) 28 CLR 436
Merchant Service Guild of A/asia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [No 3] [1920] HCA 67; (1920) 29 CLR 495
Meyer Heine Pty Ltd v China Navigation Co Ltd [1966] HCA 11; (1966) 115 CLR 10
Morrison ; (2002) 210 CLR 274

N

Nagrint v Ship 'Regis' [1939] HCA 6; (1939) 61 CLR 688
Nagrint v Ship 'Regis' [No 2] [1939] ALR 172 (note)
New South Wales v Commonwealth [1975] HCA 58; (1975) 135 CLR 337
Newcastle & Hunter River Steamship Co Ltd v A-G (Cth) [1921] HCA 31; (1921) 29 CLR 357
Nissho Iwai Australia Ltd v Malaysian International Shipping Corporation, Berhad [1989] HCA 32; (1989) 167 CLR

O

Oceanic Crest Shipping Co v Pilbara Harbour Services Pty Ltd [1986] HCA 34; (1986) 160 CLR 626
Oceanic Sun Line Special Shipping Co Inc v Fay [1988] HCA 32; (1988) 165 CLR 197
Owners of 'Iran Amanat' v KMP Coastal Oil Pte Ltd [1999] HCA 11; (1999) 196 CLR 130
Owners of the Ship' Shin Kobe Maru' v Empire Shipping Co Inc [1994] HCA 5; (1994) 120 ALR 12
Owners of the Ship 'Shin Kobe Maru' v Empire Shipping Co Inc [1994] HCA 54; (1994) 181 CLR 404

P

Pacific Carriers Limited v BNP Paribas [2004] HCA 35
Parker v Commonwealth [1965] HCA 12; (1965) 112 CLR 295
Patrick Stevedores Operations No 2 Pty Ltd v Maritime Union of Australia [1998] HCA 30; (1998) 195 CLR 1
Pearson v Fremantle Harbour Trust [1929] HCA 19; (1929) 42 CLR 320
Peck v Adelaide Steamship Co Ltd [1914] HCA 31; (1914) 18 CLR 167
Port Jackson Stevedoring Pty Ltd v Salmond & Spraggon (Australia) Pty Ltd [1978] HCA 8; (1978) 139 CLR 231
The 'President of India' v The Moor Line Ltd [1958] HCA 24; (1958) 99 CLR 185
Preston v Donohoe [1906] HCA 43; (1906) 3 CLR 1089

R

R v Australian Stevedoring Industry Board; Ex p Melbourne Stevedoring Co Pty Ltd [1953] HCA 22; (1953) 88 CLR 100
R v Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission; Ex p Australian Foremen Stevedores' Association [1958] HCA 59; (1958) 100 CLR 627
R v Darling Island Stevedoring and Lighterage Co Ltd; Ex p Halliday and Sullivan [1938] HCA 44; (1938) 60 CLR
R v Findlay; Ex p Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1953] HCA 81; (1953) 90 CLR 621
R v Foster; Ex p Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1953] HCA 86; (1953) 88 CLR 459
R v Foster; Ex p Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1956] HCA 43; (1956) 94 CLR 614
R v Foster; Ex p Eastern & Australian Steamship Co Ltd [1959] HCA 10; (1959) 103 CLR 256
R v Gallagher; Ex p Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1968] HCA 87; (1968) 121 CLR 330
R v Hamilton Knight; Ex p Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1952] HCA 38; (1952) 86 CLR 283
R v Kelly; Ex p Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia [1952] HCA 25; (1952) 85 CLR 601
R v Spicer; Ex p Seamen's Union of Australia [1957] HCA 16; (1957) 96 CLR 341
R v Spicer; Ex p Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia [1957] HCA 96; (1957) 100 CLR 312
R v Spicer; Ex p Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia [No 2] [1958] HCA 17; (1958) 100 CLR 324
R v Tonkin; Ex p Federated Ship Painters and Dockers' Union of Australia [1954] HCA 38; (1954) 92 CLR 526
R v Turner; Ex p Marine Board of Hobart [1927] HCA 15; (1927) 39 CLR 411
R v Wright; Ex p Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia [1955] HCA 35; (1955) 93 CLR 528
Re Maritime Union of Australia; Ex p CSL Pacific Shipping Inc [2003] HCA 43; (2003) 200 ALR 39
Reardon Smith Line Ltd v Australian Wheat Board [1956] HCA 1; (1956) 93 CLR 577
Risk v Northern Territory of Australia [2002] HCA 23; (2002) 210 CLR 392
Robinson v Western Australian Museum [1977] HCA 46; (1977) 138 CLR 283
Rosenfeld Hillas & Co Pty Ltd v Ship 'Fort Laramie' [1922] HCA 24; (1922) 31 CLR 56
Rosenfeld Hillas & Co Pty Ltd v Ship 'Fort Laramie' [1923] HCA 7; (1923) 32 CLR 25
Rowe v Australian United Steam Navigation Co Ltd [1909] HCA 25; (1909) 9 CLR 1
RW Miller & Co Pty Ltd v Australian Oil Refining Pty Ltd [1967] HCA 50; (1967) 117 CLR 288

S

Sanko Steamship Co Ltd v Sumitomo Australia Ltd [1995] HCA 50; (1995) 183 CLR 628
Seamen's Union of Australasia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1936] HCA 8; (1936) 54 CLR 626
Seamen's Union of Australia v Matthews [1957] HCA 53; (1957) 96 CLR 529
Sharp (John) & Sons Ltd v Ship 'Katherine Mackall' [1924] HCA 37; (1924) 34 CLR 420
Shaw Savill & Albion Co Ltd v Commonwealth [1940] FCA 40; (1940) 66 CLR 344
Shaw Savill & Albion Co Ltd v Commonwealth [1953] HCA 24; (1953) 88 CLR 164
Shell Oil Co v The Ship 'Lastrigoni' [1974] HCA 27; (1974) 131 CLR 1
Shipping Corporation of India Ltd v Gamlen Chemical Co (A/asia) Pty Ltd [1980] HCA 51; (1980) 147 CLR 142
Skandia Insurance Co Ltd v Skoljarev [1979] HCA 45; (1979) 142 CLR 375
Smith v ANL Ltd [2000] HCA 58; (2000) 204 CLR 493
South Australian Harbors Board v South Australian Gas Co [1934] HCA 45; (1934) 51 CLR 485
Spain v Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd [1923] HCA 21; (1923) 32 CLR 138
Spain v Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd [1923] HCA 65; (1923) 33 CLR 555
Spiratos v Australasian United Steam Navigation Co Ltd [1955] HCA 39; (1955) 93 CLR 317
The Steamship Cartela v The Ship Inverness Shire [1916] HCA 15; (1916) 21 CLR 387
Swinton v China Mutual Steam Navigation Co Ltd [1951] HCA 54; (1951) 83 CLR 553
Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners v Balmain Municipal Council [1915] HCA 76; (1915) 20 CLR 673
Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners v Harriott [1923] HCA 14; (1923) 32 CLR 53
Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners v Ryan [1911] HCA 64; (1911) 13 CLR 358
Sydney Harbour Trust Commissioners v Wailes [1908] HCA 19;

T

Tasmanian Steamers Pty Ltd v Lang [1938] HCA 30; (1938) 60 CLR 111
'Terukawa Maru' (The Ship) v Co-operated Dried Fruit Sales Pty Ltd [1972] HCA 29; (1972) 126 CLR 170
Texada Mines Pty Ltd v The Ship 'Afovos' (1972) 46 ALJR 476, 548 (note)
Townsville Harbour Board v Scottish Shire Line Ltd [1914] HCA 33; (1914) 18 CLR 306

U

Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd v Ferguson (1969) 119 CLR 191
Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd v The Ship 'Caradale' [1937] HCA 1; (1937) 56 CLR 277
Union Steamship Co of New Zealand Ltd v The Ship 'Caradale' ; (1937) 60 CLR 633

V

Van Leer Australia Pty Ltd v Palace Shipping KK [1981] HCA 11; (1981) 180 CLR 337
Victoria v Commonwealth [1937] HCA 82; (1937) 58 CLR 618
Victorian Stevedoring & General Contracting Co Pty Ltd v Dignan [1931] HCA 34; (1931) 45 CLR 188
Victrawl Pty Ltd v Telstra Corporation Ltd [1995] HCA 51; (1995) 183 CLR 595

W

'Walumba' (Owners) v Australian Coastal Shipping Commission [1964] 2 Lloyd's Rep 387
Waterside Workers' Federation (Aust) v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1920] HCA 20; (1920) 28 CLR 209
Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia v Burgess Bros Ltd [1916] HCA 2; (1916) 21 CLR 129
Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia v Burke [1916] HCA 3; (1916) 21 CLR 140
Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association; Ex p
Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia v Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association [1916] HCA 49; (1916) 21 CLR 642
Whybrow & Co Pty Ltd v Howard Smith Co Ltd [1913] HCA 35; (1913) 17 CLR 1
Willcocks v Shire of Wallarobba [1911] HCA 63; (1911) 13 CLR 326
William Holyman & Sons Pty Ltd v Foy & Gibson Pty Ltd [1945] HCA 40; (1945) 73 CLR 622
Williams v Hursey [1959] HCA 51; (1959) 103 CLR 30
Wilson v Darling Island Stevedoring & Lighterage Co Ltd [1956] HCA 8; (1956) 95 CLR 43
Wood, Re; Ex parte Amalgamated Metal Workers and Shipwrights Union (1980) 54 ALJR 557

Y

Yorkshire Fire & Life Insurance Co v British & Foreign Marine ; (1905) 3 CLR 196