Obituaries Australia

Mr. Fitzroy Bell Cory, who died at his home, Vermont, Warwick, Queensland, on the 12th July at the age of 68, was born at Rockhampton, the second son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Henry Cory. His father in those years was one of the two brothers in partnership in the ownership of Tocal, Longreach, Q., the other being Alfred Cory.

Educated in Warwick, the late Mr. Cory spent two years in the Royal Bank before going to Westland, Longreach, as a jackeroo in 1906. In 1908 he became head overseer of Westland, which at that time was running 100,000 sheep and was owned by the Q.N. Bank Ltd., being one of the properties which passed into the bank's hands in the depression years around 1893. Mr. Cory remained on Westland until 1910, when he went to Vermont, which his father had acquired, and which he assisted to run until 1912. In the latter year he again went out west to become overseer of Kendal for the late Mr. Fred W. Banks, and from 1913 to early 1915 he was overseer on Bimerah under the management of the late Mr. Hugh Cameron, for Messrs. Clark and Tait.

Mr. Cory then left the west and returned to Vermont, where he assisted his father in mixed farming and grazing. In 1916 he founded a Hereford stud with Tocal (Paterson) blood, but this venture was disbanded in 1928, chiefly because of low prices. He assumed the ownership of Vermont on the death of his father in 1936.

During his residence in the Longreach district Mr. Cory was a prominent amateur rider. He had mounts at the foundation meeting of the Longreach Amateur Race Club in 1912 and at subsequent meetings, riding for Mr. C. B. P. Bell and other owners.

Mr. Cory's marriage to Miss Rita Wheatcroft was celebrated in 1919 and there are three sons and their mother surviving him. They are David, who looks after Vermont; Charles, who is in the Bank of New South Wales, and John, an accountant in St. George, Q. He is also survived by a brother, Mont Cory, of Glenlee, Bogantungan, Q., but who resides in Brisbane. Another brother, Vincent, was killed in the First World War, when a member of the A.L.H.