The Dictionary of Australasian Biography/Madden, Hon. John
Madden, Hon. John, LL.D., is the son of the late John Madden, solicitor, of Cork, Ireland, and was born there on May 16th, 1844. He went to England in Sept. 1852, and was at a private school there until 1854, when he proceeded to a college at Beauchamp, in France, where he remained until Sept. 1856, when, with the rest of his father's family, he went to Melbourne, Vict., arriving on Jan. 10th, 1857. He matriculated at the Melbourne University in Oct. 1861, and graduated B.A. in 1864 and LL.B. in 1865, in which year he was gold medallist in law. He was admitted LL.D. in 1869, being the first member of the university who passed the course prescribed for that degree. On Sept 14th, 1865, he was admitted to the Victorian Bar, and has held, a leading position in his profession ever since. He was an unsuccessful candidate in 1871 for the district of West Bourke, but at the ensuing general election in 1874 he was returned at the head of the poll for the district. In Oct. 1876 he accepted office as Minister of Justice in the MᶜCulloch Administration, but on going back to his constituency he was defeated by Mr. M. L. King. He continued, however, a member of the Government, and on July 27th, 1876, was elected member for Sandridge (now Port Melbourne), which he represented till 1883. He resigned office with his colleagues in May 1877 after the victory of Mr. Berry at the polls. He was again Minister of Justice under Mr. Service from March to August 1880. Dr. Madden, who has been Warden of the University of Melbourne, and is understood to have refused a judgeship on more than one occasion, has recently taken little active part in politics, but still holds a leading position in his profession.