Obituaries Australia

Mr. Charles Sydney Dick Melbourne, the oldest solicitor and one of the oldest inhabitants of Rockhampton, and for several years a member of the Legislative Council, died yesterday. His death took place at his residence, Victoria Parade. Mr. Melbourne was a native of Sydney, New South Wales, where he was born in 1838, being therefore at the time of his demise only 63 years of age. His paternal surname was Dick, but this, a considerable number of years ago, by taking out letters patent to that effect, he altered to that of Melbourne. He arrived in Rockhampton in the year 1862, when about 26 years of age. He already had passed as a solicitor before the Supreme Court of New South Wales, and after qualifying himself in Queensland commenced the practice of his profession here. He was eminently successful, and for many years was looked upon as one of the most reliable and most acute lawyers in Rockhampton or even in Queensland. He has been associated with many famous cases in his day, in all of which his remarkable legal acumen showed to eminent advantage. About three years and a-half ago his health broke down, and he sustained a severe shook of a semi-paralytic nature consequent upon years of prolonged and intense mental labour. From that he never recovered, though he rallied somewhat. Mr. Melbourne was a member of the Legislative Council for some five or six years, his name appearing in Henniker-Heaton's 'Australian Men of Time' for 1879 as a member at that time. In the early days of the volunteer movement he was captain of a local volunteer corps, in which he took a great deal of interest.