Kep Enderby

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Keppel Enderby QC (b 25 June 1926) is an Australian esperantist and former leading Australian politician.

Born in Dubbo, New South Wales and educated at Dubbo High School, Enderby joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1944, studied law at Sydney University and London University, worked from 1950 as a lawyer and lectured in law at the Australian National University in Canberra.

In 1970 Enderby gained Australian Labor Party (ALP) pre-selection for the Division of Australian Capital Territory and was subsequently elected to the House of Representatives at the 1970 federal election. Enderby's talents were soon spotted by Labor leaders and following the ALP victory at the 1972 election, Enderby held a range of posts in the Second and Third Whitlam ministries, including Attorney-General, Minister for Supply, Secondary Industry, Manufacturing Industry, Customs and Excise, Police and Customs, Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

Enderby was elected to the new electorate of Canberra at the 1974 election but was one of many Labor members to lose their seats in the landslide 1975 election defeat that followed the dismissal of the Whitlam Government. Following the loss, Enderby moved to Sydney and returned to the bar where he practiced as a Queen's Counsel. From 1982 until his retirement in 1992 he was the judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

The once amateur golf champion has held a number of community positions throughout his career, including presiding over the regional society for voluntary euthanasia. Additionally, after learning Esperanto in 1987, Enderby became involved in Esperanto organisations, including serving as President of the Australian Esperanto Association from 1992 to 1997, as a committee member of the World Esperanto Association from 1992-2004, as President of the Esperanto Law Association from 1996-2002 and from 1998 to 2001 as President of the World Esperanto Association.