Obituaries Australia

Cecil Murphy, 1921

Cecil Horace Murphy, Labor ex-MLA for North Shore, was found dead in his office in Castlereagh-street yesterday afternoon.

The caretaker of the block of offices, knowing that Mr. Murphy was working during the afternoon, knocked at the door but could get no reply. He opened the door and went inside and saw Mr. Murphy seated on a chair in the strong room.

The caretaker shook him, but as Mr. Murphy appeared unconscious, he sent for the ambulance, and Mr. Murphy was taken to Sydney Hospital. He was dead on arrival.

"Mr. Murphy had recently had a bad attack of influenza," said a member of the family last night. "He had been depressed, but when he left home yesterday, seemed to be brighter. He did not complain of illness." Cecil Murphy, known to everyone in the House as the 'Little Corporal,' was extremely popular during his stay there. He was elected in 1920, and sat in several Parliaments until just before 1930, when he fell foul of the Lang regime—and paid the penalty in the loss of his seat.

Forty-four years of age, he had a fine war record, serving as a corporal in the AIF. He became nationally famous with Senator 'Digger' Dunn immediately after the war.

He was an estate agent. He was a brother of Colonel George Murphy, C.M.G., D.S.O., the Sheriff of New South Wales. His great fighting qualities as a politician, and his cheery nature made him many friends, and there will be universal sympathy with his family on his tragic end.