Sir Charles Lilley was a former premier (1868-70) and chief justice of Queensland (1879-93). He had a significant influence on the form and spirit of state education in colonial Queensland which lasted well into the twentieth century.

Lilley was responsible for the introduction of free education in Queensland in 1870 (the first Australian state to do so) and had a substantial influence on the Education Act, 1875 which, while amended on several occasions afterwards, sufficed until the Education Act 1964. He also influenced later debates on university and adult education.