Pauline St George Barnes was the fifth woman to be appointed as a commissioner of the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission, a position she held from 1 July 1978 until her retirement in 1985. Although she had completed the Barristers' Admission Board course, she did not practise as a barrister after she was admitted to the New South Wales Bar. Instead, she worked as an industrial officer in local government and shire organisations before becoming a research officer with the Association of Professional Engineers (Aust.). An involved member of the Women Lawyers' Association of New South Wales, she was honorary secretary and also convenor of the Association's Research Committee.

Sources used to compile this entry: New South Wales Law Almanac, V. C. N. Blight Government Printer, New South Wales, 1966, p. 103; 1967, p. 103; 1968, pp. 81, 103; 1969, p. 103; 1970, p. 104; 1979, p. 99; 1988, p. 135; The Ryerson Index (See: 'Barnes, Pauline St George', The Sydney Morning Herald (Weekend Edition), 19-20 July 2008, p. 50); Barnes, Pauline St George, 1978-85, Commissioner, Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. Sir Richard Kirby Archives, http://ww3.e-airc.gov.au/archives/memberstopresent, accessed online 7 February 2016; 'Former Commissioners', Issue 4-August 2008, AIRC News, Australian Industrial Relations Commission, http://ww3.e-airc.gov.au/newsletter/former4, accessed online 16 February 2016; 'Welcome to Commissioner Barnes', Issue 4, August 2008, AIRC News, Australian Industrial Relations Commission, http://www.airc.gov.au/images/newsletter_images/issue4/WelcomeBarnesC.pdf, accessed online 14 March 2016; 'Barnes, Pauline St George', Who's Who in Australia 1983 (The Herald & Weekly Times, Melbourne, 1983), p. 81.