Obituaries Australia

Cecil Freer, n.d.

from Pastoral Review and Graziers' Record, 16 July 1957

Mr. Cecil Freer, M.B.E., who died in Sydney on 6th June, had a long and colourful career in the Northern Territory. His people were substantial yeomen in Sussex, England, and his parents came to Australia with their three children by chartered ship, landing at Port Darwin in 1883.

Cecil trained as an engineer and became a mine manager, but soon afterwards he saw great possibilities in buffalo shooting, as it was estimated that these animals, which were originally brought from Java for the British military settlement established at Port Essington, N.T., about 1820 and later abandoned, had multiplied to around 100,000 head. Buffalo hides were valuable, and Cecil Freer, when still in his 20's, took up a large area of buffalo country which he named Stuart Station after the explorer. He spent about 40 years at this work, all of which was done on horseback, shooting over 39,000 buffalo bulls during that period. He sojourned in Sydney, Melbourne, or Tasmania during the "off" season, returning for the shooting starting in August each year. The buffalo hides were sent to Russia for tanning and splitting for belting for heavy duty engines, the hides being of great thickness. Some hides were also exported to Turkey, together with many crocodile skins.

Numbers of aborigines were employed by Mr. Freer in his work and he possessed a sympathetic insight and understanding of them. On one occasion he rode over 1500 miles exploring unknown parts of Arnhem Land and acquainting himself with hitherto undiscovered tribes of natives, in whom he took a great interest. For meritorious services rendered to the Northern Territory and its aborigines he was made a Member of the British Empire (M.B.E.).

Cecil Freer was the last of the early buffalo shooters of the Territory, his contemporaries being Wm. Lawrie (known as the "King" of the N.T. on account of his varied interests), Tom Sayle, Ben Martin, Joe Cooper, and two or three others. He was also a keen horse breeder and rider, having ridden the winners of 13 Port Darwin Cups as well as in some steeplechases in Melbourne.

Mr. Freer married Miss Dorothy Yeo, of Elong Elong Station, Dubbo, N.S.W., who survives him, and was a brother of Percy (deceased) and Lady Cecil, widow of the late Lord William Cecil, one-time leader of the House of Lords. He was of a genuine and retiring nature, and was very well regarded by his confreres out in the Territory and by his intimates in the southern capitals.

Vale Cecil Freer—Suaviter in modo, fortiter in re.