Obituaries Australia

The late Mr. Alfred John Wesley Nightingale, a photograph of whom was published in "The Telegraph" on Thursday, was well known to the older generation of Queenslanders, for he was associated with the Government Savings Bank for many years. The deceased gentleman joined the Queensland public service as a junior in the Post and Telegraph Department on February 1, 1860, at the age of 21 years. Five years later he was appointed accountant in the money order branch of that service, with a salary of £400. When in that position a remarkable episode happened. Mr. Nightingale was sent to audit the accounts of a branch, where a deficiency had been discovered. The officer implicated asked permission to leave the room for a few minutes, and ended his life with a revolver. The Postmaster-General of the day took the extreme step of dismissing Mr. Nightingale. An indignant deputation waited on the Minister at his residence, and demanded Mr. Nightingale's reappointment to his office. The Postmaster-General, was obdurate. On January 1, 1872, however, Mr. Nightingale was appointed to the Government Savings Bank at a salary of £250 a year, and in April, 1873, he was promoted to branch officer at the George Street branch, with a salary of £450 a year. He retired from the service some 18 years ago, and after some fruit farming experience at Wellington Point he removed to Sandgate, where he was living when he died.