Obituaries Australia

In the passing away at Collector recently of Mrs. Kimberley (83), hostess of the Commercial Hotel, the district has lost one of the few remaining links which connected it with the bushranging period. Deceased's late husband or herself had kept the hotel since its creation, her residence at Collector covering a period of 60 years, says a southern paper. The hotel was several times visited by the Gilbert-Ben Hall gang. On one occasion Mrs. Kimberley was compelled at the point of a revolver to produce the cashbox. On another occasion the gang had 26 men bailed up in a bar of the hotel. Gilbert told Mrs. Kimberley she had nothing to be afraid of, that she would not be hurt. Hall, however, put a pistol to her head and demanded the money in her house. Mrs. Kimberley had the money in the pocket of her apron, and drawing it out threw it on the counter. Hall rejected notes and cheques, stating they were of no use to him. Mrs. Kimberley displayed great presence of mind in a situation which would have terrified most women, seized the paper money, declaring if it was no good to a bushranger, it was to her. Hall was so struck with her promptitude that he exclaimed, "You're a plucky old woman." It was on this occasion that Constable Nelson, to whose memory Sir Joseph Carruthers had a monument erected at Collector a few years ago, was shot by the outlaws, the tragedy taking place within a few yards of the hotel. Mrs.  Kimberley has a sister still living in Collector—Mrs. Crowther, aged 89.