Obituaries Australia

Brief mention was made last month to the death in London of Mr. Isidore Samuel Emanuel on 5th January at the age of 94 and some further details regarding the life of this grand old pioneer have now come to hand.

Mr Emanuel was born in New South Wales and in the early '80s he and his brother, Sydney Philip, were sent to the West Kimberleys, Western Australia, to establish Meda Station and others on pastoral leases taken up by their father, Samuel Emanuel, and Mr. W. E. Sparke. The brothers prepared the properties and returned to New South Wales for their first shipments of sheep, which were despatched by sailing vessels. The shipments landed at the mouth of the May River, north of Derby, at high tide and the sheep were unloaded when the tide receded. One shipment landed well, but the following ship was delayed for many days on account of bad weather and on arrival the sheep were suffering from shortage of water. When they were unloaded many of them rushed the river and a large number were drowned and others died from the effects of drinking the salt water.

After spending a few years on Meda Mr. Emanuel and his brother moved on to establish with sheep Lower Liveringa and Noonkanbah Stations, and later to establish Gogo Station, Fitzroy Crossing, with cattle; the original partners having been joined by others in the establishment of the various properties.

During the '90s the brothers left the stations in charge of managers and went to Perth to arrange for the shipment and disposal of the stock, and on many occasions chartered ships were used for this purpose.

Shortly after the gold rush in Western Australia the Emanuel brothers were joined by the late Mr. Alexander Forrest and the firm of Forrest, Emanuel and Company was formed. This firm catered for the stock and meat requirements of the metropolis and goldfields for many years, during which time several other station properties were acquired. Later on the partnership was dissolved and the business was taken over by Emanuel Brothers Limited, which company still controls the various station interests.

With the advent of the revision of the Land Act limiting holdings to one million acres, several of the properties had to be disposed of, and Gogo was cut up into three separate stations —Margaret Downs (Gogo), Cherrabun, and Christmas Creek— and these, together with Meda, are still held by the descendants of the original partners. The stations, which run only Shorthorn cattle, dispose of the greater percentage by shipping them from Derby to Fremantle, where they are sold by auction. However, others are sold to meatworks in the Kimberleys.

Mr. Emanuel, who was always very keen on the breeding of good cattle, established at Gogo a station stud of Shorthorn cattle where top quality bulls were, and are still, used to keep the herd to a high standard.

A keen racing enthusiast, Mr. Emanuel was a life member of W.A.T.C. and during the latter years of his sojourn in Perth bred many horses which carried his colours successfully. He is survived by a widow and three sons.