Obituaries Australia

Mr. Thomas Ernest Ham, who died on August 21, at the age of 77 years, was born at Kew, Victoria, and came to Queensland with his parents in 1862. He was educated at the Brisbane Grammar School, and when cotton growing was started in the Ipswich district, he, with a brother and other pupils, spent a vacation at cotton picking. Later when he retired from H.M. Customs he took up land at Geebung and grew cotton. From school he entered the Customs Department, and held a record of fifty years' service on his retirement at 65 years at which time he held the position next to the Collector. In early days he was an enthusiastic member of the Volunteer Force, and was a Sunday School teacher in the Wharf Street Baptist Church. His recreations was cricket and sailing, and he was one of the promoters of the Humpy Bong early regattas. His grandfather, the Rev. John Ham, was the first Baptist minister in Melbourne, and his mother's father, John Collings, was the founder of St. Augustine Congregational Church at Hawthorn, Victoria. Taking up residence at Northgate in 1913, Mr. Ham joined the Progress Association, and became secretary. Later he was appointed one of the trustees for a proposed school of arts. He was an officer of the Country and Progressive National Association branch. During the war he worked unceasingly for soldiers, and on November 7, 1927, was presented by the Returned Soldiers' and Sailors Imperial League of Australia with the Certificate of Appreciation and Gold Medal (the Soldiers' V.C.). The surviving members of the family are the Misses P. E. and W. K. Ham, of Northgate; Mrs. H. J. Collings, of Hawthorn, Victoria; and Mr. C. H. Ham, North Arm.