Obituaries Australia

Emile Odou, n.d.

from Australasian Pastoralists' Review, 15 January 1900

We regret to report the death of M. Emile Odou, one of the pioneers of the Australian wool trade, and for twenty years one of the most respected, influential, and popular buyers attending the Melbourne and Sydney markets.

M. Odou, who was born at Tourcoing, France, in 1854, learnt his business in the French woollen mills, and came out to Melbourne in 1880 on behalf of the French firm of Messrs. Leroux-Brame, with which he was connected up to the day of his death. He was most energetic in scouring the north of France and Belgium for orders for the Australian markets, and the confidence felt by his clients in his integrity and judgment soon assured him a large connection. On this side he made himself welcome from the first, and whilst it may safely be asserted that there was no more popular buyer in the trade amongst the buyers themselves, the selling brokers also held him in great esteem. For many years he had been a member of the committee of the Victorian Woolbuyers' Association, and in all matters connected with the promotion and better regulation of the trade he was ever energetic. His death caused such an expression of sincere regret amongst all who knew him as falls to the lot of few men. All the buyers in Melbourne at the time attended his funeral, as well as official representatives of the Melbourne Woolbrokers' Association, who also sent a wreath to be placed on the grave, a tribute which was also paid by several of the buyers.

Since the beginning of the present wool season M. Odou's friends had noticed that he was not quite well, which they the more regretted as he had left his wife and family in France, but it was only a few days before Christmas that his illness became serious, and complications setting in, he passed away at Menzies' Hotel on 24th December.