Obituaries Australia

Francis Albert Joseph Langlands, one of Horsham's foremost civic leaders and citizens, died at his home in Horsham late on Thursday night. The late Mr. Langlands was 69 and was a grandson of the late Mr. George Langlands who built the first store in Horsham in 1849. This store began the first settlement in Horsham. He was Managing Director of J. Langlands and Sons Ply. Ltd the modern emporium which has developed from the first log cabin store that his grandfather built. The late Mr. Langlands played a prominent part in many of Horsham's organisations and was behind many ventures to advance the interests of the city and district. He was mayor of Horsham on two occasions and had been chairman of the Waterworks Trust and Sewerage Authority. Mr. Langlands married Miss May Billingham at Hawthorn in 1911. He is succeeded by his wife and one son, Francis Brace, Another son Edward Robert was an officer in the Second A.I.F, and was killed in action on June 19, 1941. The service at St. John's Church of England on Saturday was conducted by the Rev. Canon D. I. M. Anthony. The Archdeacon of Ballarat (Venerable R. E. Richards), represented the Bishop of Ballarat (Rt. Rev. W. H. Johnson). The archdeacon and the Rev Donald Hardy assisted at the service. It was a full choral service. The staff of Langlands and members of the Horsham Rotary Club, of which Mr. Langlands was a foundation member, preceded the hearse at the Horsham Cemetery and formed a guard of honor. More than a hundred cars formed the cortege and hundreds of floral tributes were piled on the hearse. Those present at the funeral included Captain A. K. Rawlings, representing Commissioner J. Evan Smith, Territorial Commander, Southern Australian Division of the Salvation Army, who was a personal friend of Mr. Langlands, Secretary of the Victorian Storekeepers' Association (Mr. E. Trend), Mr. A. Scholes, of Ararat; Mr. A. Dally, of Warracknabeal; all three representing the Victorian Storekeepers' Association of which Mr. Langland's was a past president, and Mr. G. G. Foletta, representing Prestige Limited. Floral tributes came from: Foletta, Gough, Fawcett, Prestige; Patterson, Laing and Bruce, J. W. Richmond and Co., Adelaide; Newtorian Merchants Pty. Ltd., Melbourne; Victorian Storekeepers' Association; Wimmera District Angling Society; Principal and Staff Longeranong College; Wimmera Base Hospital Management Committee; Danny Lascelles Ltd.; Employees, Langlands Pty. Ltd.; Manager and Staff, May and Miller; St. John’s Choir; Vicar and Vestry, St. John's Church of England; Agricultural Society, Chamber of Commerce, City Council, City Band, Angling Club, Rotary Club, Fire Brigade, Horsham Golf Club and Patersons Pty. Ltd. Coffin bearers we S. E. Bolton, W. B. Bolton, J. S. Bolton, R. C. Newton, J. Russell, M. Russell. Pall bearers were N. R. Whitclock, representing Langlands; O. D. Fitzgerald, hospital committee; D. Clark, S. R., and W.S.C. E Trend, Victorian Storekeepers Association; A. Dawson, City Band; C. Latimer, Angling Club; S. Dowling, Horsham City Council; R. Huf, Agricultural Society. The late Mr. Langlands was a devout member of the Church of England. He was a senior member of the Church of England Men's Society, a vestryman of St. Johns for about 40 years, a church warden and a member of St. John's Choir since he was a boy. He was a synodsman for many years and succeeded his brother-in-law, Mr Wilson Bolton, as St John’s synod representative.