Judge Elizabeth Gaynor (County Court of Victoria) Interview 18/10/2005

It was very funny when I came back after I had Bess because really I’d planned to stay home for a year and I just went cabin crazy at home and finally John said “For God’s sake, will you go back (to work), you’re such a bitch”.

So I went back and Bess was at crèche and she would have been about six months old and I’d come to work and people would go “Oh, Liz, you’re back” and I’d say “Yes” and they’d say “Where’s the baby?” and I felt like saying “Oh she’s strapped to a high chair at home, you know, what do you reckon?”

Mind you, it became very difficult at times. Once I got into a heavy trial practice, most of my weekends I would spend some amount of them on working but it was always - the compromise was at home and my social life pretty much died, which is what happens if you want to work and have kids and spend some time with them.

Conducted for the Bar Oral History project by Juliette Brodsky, and filmed by Stewart Carter (People Pictures)