Obituaries Australia

On Monday evening last, 25th inst, there passed away a well-known figure in the person of the late Mr R. F. Norman, better known as "Bob" Norman. For some considerable time he had resided at Mr Wheeler's residence, Amherst-road, West Midland, and had been attended by Dr Leaver for heart trouble. On the 25th he had returned from Claremont and it is thought that the very trying weather and the unusual strain of the train journey was too much for him, death coming very suddenly. He fainted away and Dr Leaver being summoned immediately pronounced life to be extinct. The deceased was born in the Maitland district, N.S.W., and being a carpenter by trade he gravitated to Sydney where he took an active part in the trades union and the labor movement which at that time was just beginning to loom on the political horizon of Australia. He was attracted to this State by the gold discovery in the early nineties and spent some years on the fields where he was well-known as a staunch and consistent laborite. When the recent split came on the conscription issue he warmly advocated the cause of national service, threw in his voice and influence with the National labor movement. At the time of his death he was 67 years old. The funeral, which was well attended, took place on Wednesday afternoon, February 27th, the internment being made in the Anglican portion of the Karrakatta cemetery. The chief mourners were Mr K. J. Hickey (brother-in-law), Albert Hickey (nephew) and Mrs Wheeler (friend). The pallbearers were Messrs. J. T. Davies. M.L.A., J. W. Gow (secretary, Midland Junction branch National Labor Party), Cr. Ferguson (vice-president National Labor Party) and George Foley, M.L.A. Others present were Messrs. Joe Fabre (secretary Dairymen's Employees' union), Jno. Hilton (representing Perth branch National Labor Party), Senator Hugh De Largie, Messrs. Arran Wheeler, Wm. Bradshaw, Enos. Watson, J. B, Kline, H. C. Furse, M. H. Barker, Mesdames Marnon, Wheeler, Tobin, McDonald. O'Mahoney and Jamieson; Misses Gannon, McDonald and Master James Wheeler and others whose names were not ascertained. The Rev. T. S. Groser officiated and the funeral arrangements were carried out by Messrs. Farrall Bros.