Obituaries Australia

By the death of Mr. Alfred Hay, of Boomanoomana Station, N.S.W., which occurred at his town residence, Armadale, Victoria, on the 30th of January, there has been removed a well known and highly esteemed pastoralist from Riverina.

Mr. Hay was in his 73rd year, and although he was born at Campbell Town, Tasmania, the greater part of his life was spent in Australia.

His father, Mr. William Hay, purchased Boomanoomana, in Southern Riverina, in 1863. It was then a cattle property, but he soon replaced the cattle with sheep. In 1886 Mr. Alfred Hay became sole owner owing to the dissolution of the partnership between his father, himself, and brother. The property then consisted of 33,000 acres of freehold, and about 5000 acres of Crown lands.

He was never a believer in travelling his stock for grass or water, so when the signs of drought became ominous in 1902 he installed, with the able assistance of his eldest son, an irrigation plant capable of dealing with some 700 acres, which was promptly sown with maize, sorghum, and lucerne, and enabled him to tide successfully over that disastrous period. In addition the plant was utilised for sending water out to the tanks which had gone dry, and in supplying water to adjacent farmers.