Obituaries Australia

Mr. Alexander J. Ralston, for many years secretary to the Australian Mutual Provident Society, died at his residence, Ashfield, on May 2, after a long and painful illness. Mr. Ralston was only 56 years of age, having been born in Tasmania in the year 1833. He went to Melbourne while quite a young man and engaged in commercial pursuits, being a member of a rather large business firm. Finding that the operations of the firm were unsuccessful, Mr. Ralston retired from it, and came to Sydney. In 1862 he obtained a situation as Clerk of Public Records on the clerical staff of the Legislative Assembly; but in the year 1864 he left the Civil Service for the position of assistant secretary to the A.M.P. Society. At that time the affairs of the society had got into some confusion; and the result was that the then secretary, the cashier, and the accountant all resigned. Mr. Ralston was appointed secretary, which position he continued to hold until October, 1886, when he retired, receiving a pension from the society of £1200 a year. Mr. Ralston leaves a widow and three sons and one daughter.