Obituaries Australia

It is with sincere regret, which feeling we are sure will be shared by a large number of our readers, that we record the death of Mr. Frederick Augustus Hooke, of Dingadee, Dungog, after an operation. A few weeks ago Mr. Hooke gave up the active management of Dingadee, in consequence of failing health, and came to town for medical advice and treatment. Mr. Hooke died on the 26th September at a private hospital in Sydney. He was born at Dingadee in the year 1850, so was sixty-five years of age at the time of his death, and had lived at Dingadee all his life. His father, Mr. John Hooke, who was one of the earliest pioneers in the State of New South Wales, purchased the estate a couple of years after the original grant had been issued by the Crown, and on one occasion when travelling between Sydney and Parramatta he was bailed up and held for the night by a gang of bushrangers—Donohue, Walmsley, and Webber.

Mr. F. A. Hooke was a well-known breeder of Shorthorn cattle, and being a very progressive man, he lost no opportunity of improving his herd, and thereby he helped the district and the State. He was one of the first to encourage the dairying industry in the Dungog district by cutting Dingadee Estate up into suitably-sized dairy farms, and letting them to farmers on the share system on the basis of halves.

Mr. Hooke always took a strong personal interest in everything in the district, and was deservedly extremely popular with all classes of the community. He was always in the lead in every movement for the improvement of the district, and was prominent in assisting any charitable objects, and will be greatly missed.