Obituaries Australia

Bertram Friend, n.d.

from Pastoral Review and Graziers' Record, 19 August 1958

The death occurred on the 11th July of Mr. Bertram Friend, one of the personalities of the livestock industry in south eastern Australia, particularly Victoria and Tasmania, for very many years. As a stock and station agent, and later as a stud stock salesman, he had a wide circle of friends and was noted for his kindly disposition, his conscientiousness, and his sound knowledge of stock. He was 87 years of age.

The late Mr. Friend joined the old stock and station agency firm of Powers, Rutherford and Co. in 1886 as a boy of 16 and rose to be the sole proprietor. In those early days Powers, Rutherford and Co., operating from Melbourne, had a very big business, and it is recorded that one market morning a member of the firm, Mr. Jack Stamford, sold privately over 40,000 sheep before breakfast. When Mr. Stamford retired during World War I Mr. Friend gained control and continued in charge until the company went out of business in 1941. He then joined the Australian, Mercantile, Land, and Finance Co. Ltd. and was manager of the Melbourne stud stock department until December 1955, when he retired on account of ill health. He thus had the remarkable record of serving in the stock and station business for 69 years.

Mr. Friend is survived by his widow, three daughters, and two sons.