Australian folk musician turned Federal Court judge, Judy Small, inducted into Victoria's Honour Roll of Women
By Syan Vallance

In short:
A singer-songwriter turned Federal Court judge has been recognised as a trailblazer in Australian folk music.
Renowned feminist folk icon Judy Small is one of 21 people added to Victoria's Honour Roll of Women.
What's next?
The other inductees include medical researcher Professor Jane Gunn, telehealth pioneer Associate Professor Kudzai Kanhutu and broadcaster Libbi Gorr.

Judy Small's path from feminist folk icon to Federal Court judge began when she got arrested.

It was 1976, and the young university student wasn't too interested in politics.

"A friend and I had agreed we'd go out to dinner one night and she said, 'there's this demonstration on in the city … would you like to come then go out to dinner later?'" Ms Small recalled in an interview with the ABC.

"I said, 'sure, why not.'"

Ms Small was given charge of the student union bail money because she was considered the least likely to get into trouble.

Hours later, the 22-year-old was locked up in a Darlinghurst police station cell and charged with behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.

"I wasn't doing anything, I really wasn't — I think I might have been holding a banner, and that's all," she said.

The biggest shock was yet to come.

"When we got to court the police lied," she said, her words dripping with passion 48 years later.

"That really got me thinking if they're lying about that — if the system is prepared to be corrupt about something like that — what else is going on in the world?"

She was acquitted but the experience changed the trajectory of her life, fuelling her passion for her three careers: as a folk musician, family lawyer then Federal Court judge.

"I see them all as being parts of the same field — it's the field of social justice," she said.

And now she's being celebrated for her achievements as one of 21 people added to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women.

Singer-songwriter for five decades

Ms Small's love for her chosen genre began as a child in her family's Coffs Harbour home, where the radio was only ever tuned to the ABC.

The public broadcaster leaned into the folk boom of the early sixties, and young Judy lapped it up.

On Sundays, the folk songs were replaced by hymns at the Anglican church her family attended every weekend.

"I learned a lot about the form of song in church," Ms Small said.

"I also learned … songs that sustain the congregation are just as important as songs that convert people.

"So when I'm writing political songs they're just as much to encourage people who already believe what I believe, and to encourage them to keep going."

Few of her songs show that more blatantly than the 1998 release 'You Don't Speak For Me'.

"You call yourselves patriots, swastika-style, you feed on the fear of the ignorant child — you don't speak for me," she sang.

It goes on to affirm the people "marching for peace" and "fighting injustice … you speak for me."

The 71-year-old began writing songs five decades ago, producing 12 albums and hundreds of songs.

When she sat down for an interview on the ABC's Sunday Afternoon with Mary Delahunty in 1995, the host introduced her as "the doyen of contemporary folk music in Australia".

Her website now describes her as the genre's "Grande Dame".

Ms Small has toured the world with her music.

Her songs have evoked tears, laughter and occasional controversy — few more so than "Montreal", about a young man who murdered 14 female students at his university.

The song was sung softly, but its questions were intended to hit hard.

"Why does gunman sound so familiar, while gunwoman doesn't quite ring true?"

"What is it about men that makes them do the things they do?"

"And I know there are men of conscience who aren't like that at all, who would never raise a hand in anger and who reject the macho role," the song continues.

The lyrics enraged one young man so much, he confronted Ms Small after a performance in Canberra.

"His face was literally red with rage," the folk singer told the crowd at one of her recent concerts.

"And he said that was the most anti-male song he had ever heard in his whole life — and then he threatened to hit me," she said.

Suddenly, another man intervened.

"He said 'hey mate how come you're identifying with the men of violence rather than the men of conscience in that song?'"

The crowd cheered.

"I thought what a perfect answer," she said, strumming her guitar.

"That's another one of those songs I wish would go out of date."

It was written in 1990.

Assisting vulnerable families through law

In 1998 Ms Small began to reach a new audience, when she stopped performing full time and became a family lawyer.

Many of those years were spent at Victoria Legal Aid (VLA).

"Judy achieved so much during her time at VLA, leading our Family Youth and Children's Law directorate through some challenging times," said associate director of family law at VLA Gayathri Parmasiviam, who worked alongside Ms Small.

"Her contributions assisted some of the most vulnerable families and children in Victoria at such a difficult time in their lives."

All the while, Ms Small kept writing and performing at festivals around the world.

It was on tour in Western Australia Ms Small met the love of her life, Charlotte Stockwell.

"We've been together 20 years, we've been married for ten — my mainstay," she said.

Appointment as a Federal Court judge

The stage was replaced by the bench when Ms Small was appointed as a judge with the Federal Circuit Court of Australia.

Given judges were not allowed to be involved in politics, Ms Small retired fully from performing.

Her former colleague, current Federal Circuit and Family Court Judge Joanne Stewart described her as very dedicated to serving the public, with a capacity to think outside the box.

Judge Stewart said Ms Small was instrumental in starting the Melbourne court's Indigenous list, which was designed to provide equitable access to justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and families.

She also praised Ms Small's sense of humour.

"She's a raconteur … you can sit down and have a chat with her about anything," Judge Stewart said.

When she retired from the court in 2020, Ms Small went back to performing, juggling music with her role as chair of queer arts organisation Midsumma.

Making the honour roll

The singer-songwriter has now joined around 750 Victorians whose names have been added to the Honour Roll of Women.

This year, Minister for Women Natalie Hutchins welcomed 21 women onto the list, including women's health researcher Professor Jane Gunn, groundbreaking telehealth Associate Professor Kudzai Kanhutu and broadcaster Libbi Gorr.

"The honour roll's been around for 23 years it has 750 amazing women from all over Victoria who have achieved great things," the Minister said.

Ms Small was stunned to be one of them.

"Being included on this list is incredible because its an amazing roll — the names of some of the women on that role are some of my heroines," she said.

The list was created by Victoria's first female premier, the late Joan Kirner, who was one of Ms Small's personal friends.

"She said to me 'you're going places — and just remember to lift as you climb'," Ms Small said.

"I didn't get here by myself, I got here with the support mainly of women — of men too — but mainly of women and I hope I can be that support to other women as they climb their individual ladders."

Ms Small has seen success in many forms, but one dream remained.

"I have this fantasy that one day someone will come across a busker singing one of my songs in the Martin Place tunnel in Syndey or Flinders Street Station in Melbourne and they'll say 'gee that's a nice song, where'd you get that?" she said.

"And the busker will say 'oh I don't know it's just an old folk song'."

Ms Small grins.

"Then I'll think I've made it."