Obituaries Australia

An unpretentious death notice in the Argus yesterday read as follows: —"O'Ferrall.—On the 21st inst., at his residence, George-street, East Melbourne, H. [Hugh James] O'Ferrall. R.I.P.". Probably few persons who glanced at the above notice recognised in deceased a prominent Civil servant, who many years since cut a considerable dash in Melbourne society with money not his own, and afterwards suffered the usual penalty of penal servitude. Hugh O'Ferrall was a fourth-class officer in the Lands Department, with a salary of £300 per annum, sufficient for the needs of most men, but not for one of the gay, convivial, sporting, nature of O'Ferrall. His private deficiencies were, however, easily made up by a free use of public money. In his capacity of receiver of the rent from the factories on the south bank of the Yarra, which were then built on land leased from the department, and also of land licenses, O'Ferrall had ample opportunity for absorbing as much cash as was needed to keep him going in fashionable style. At pigeon shooting, coursing and horse racing events he was always a well-known figure, and being hail fellow well met with every sort and condition of men, was a favourite everywhere. Nature had also endowed him with many pleasing and attractive qualities. Tall of stature, large limbed, and of an imposing appearance, he was a noticeable figure in all congregations of men; while his engaging manners and ready Hibernian wit made him many friends. Occasionally, of course, people of an enquiring turn of mind wondered how a fourth-class Civil servant, with a few hundreds a year, could scatter money broadcast in the free and easy manner which was one of O'Ferrall's agreeable peculiarities; but their only half-expressed suspicions were quickly obliterated by the ready explanation that he had married a wife with a fortune, and it was her money which enabled him to live at the rate of a couple of thousand a year. But the constantly growing burden of accumulating peculations at last grew to be too great to be borne by O'Ferrall. To the last, however, he maintained his usual buoyancy of manner, and spent his sovereigns freely for the benefit of his followers, and then all at once his friends and the public were astonished by his sudden disappearance. An investigation into his accounts proved that he had embezzled to the pretty tune of about £19,000. This he had accomplished by the simple process of keeping dummy receipt books. Inquiry also proved that he had been too well trusted by his superior officer, who is said to have been hurried into a premature death by the worry and scandal of the affair. It was in October, 1873, that O'Ferrall absconded, and for the next 12 months he evaded capture. Eventually he was arrested in the Straits Settlement and on being tried for his offence, he received a sentence of 11 years' hard labour. But only about four of these, were served, his friends obtaining his liberation on the ground of his great ill-health in prison. Since his release O'Ferrall has lived a very quiet and retired life in East Melbourne, rarely being seen by his former associates. More recently his health gave way entirely, and his death was not unexpected to the members of his family. He was about 55 years of age, though he looked much older.