Obituaries Australia

The unexpected news received on April 16 in Tumut, by his wife that Mr. Arthur Neville Stacy, of "Camelot," Tumut Plains had died at Lady Minto Nursing Association Hospital, Sriangar, Kashmir, India, cabelled through by his daughter, Sister Jean Stacy, who is a member of the staff of the institution in which he died, cast a profound gloom over the whole community.

Arthur Neville Stacy was born in Singleton, N.S.W., on July 7, 1870. He was the son of the late Henry Percy Stacy, manager of the A.J.S. Bank at Singleton. Both parent's were members of pioneer families, his grandfather, Dr. Stacy, having practised in partnership with the late Dr. Bowker on the Hunter River. His mother was a daughter of Capt. Caswell, R.N., and his uncle the late William Caswell, was the first Police Magistrate appointed to the Tumut district, but he sought and obtained an exchange with the late F. W. Vyner. As a boy, Arthur Stacy was educated at the Singleton Grammar School and his father dying, he entered the service of the Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney at Campbelltown, then was at Warren, and came to Tumut in 1890. Here he remained for 4 years, when he was transferred successively to Cootamundra, Bombala and Albury. In 1901 he became manager of Wilcannia, and two years later at Bourke, where he remained for 10 years, being removed to Yass in 1912. In 1914, he left the service of the Commercial Bank in order to undertake the management of 'Wermatong,' and he was on a well-earned holdiay in India when he passed to his eternal rest. Mr. Stacy married Emily Florence, the eldest daughter of the late Hamlyn L. Harris, of ''Wermatong,'- in 1902, and to the union there were four children, viz: Sister Jean Stacy, Llewellyn, Muriel and Gordon. Soon after entering upon the management of ''Wermatong,' he bought from the late R. M. Shelley the homestead and part of the original grant of Tumut Plains ("Camelot") of which "Wermatong'' comprised the run in the early days. Mr. Stacy was a keen man of business, reliable and conscientious to a degree; he was also fond of sport, both cricket and tennis, in which in younger days he excelled; and he combined these qualities with sincere and earnest religious convictions and was from his earliest days until his death a devoted son of the Church of England, in which he acted in many capacities in two dioceses and many parishes successively . In 1908 he spent a year abroad and was nominated by Bishop Camidge as a representative of the Diocese of Bathurst at the Pan-Anglican Congress held in London in 1908.

In public affairs he took an active part in quite a number of institutions and movements.. During the great war he was on the Repatriation Committee and identified him self closely with the reception of the returned men as they journeyed home, some hale and hearty, others constitutionally wrecked, and his ad dresses to the departing volunteers was as sincere as were, his words in welcoming them home. For some years he was associated with the Tumut A. & P. Association, was a director of the Tumut Co-op. Dairy Co . Ltd, and a Shire Councilor, where his sound common sense and keen business acumen gave him an appreciated standing with his fellow Councillors and the electors of the riding he represented. In a few words it can be said that he left this world much richer by having lived in it.

And over and above all these traits of character and avenues of service he shone as a good husband and most devoted father. A few weeks ago at a church social in the 'Oddfellows'   Hall, Tumut, where a small presentation was made to him by a circle of friends, he surprised those pres ent by his solemn speech in which he spoke of his happiness to live or die, as God willed. Now his words seem to have been prophetic. For 2 years past Mr. Stacy had not been well and had caused anxiety to his family, but he refused to consider himself as a sick man, and when he prepared to fulfil the promise made to his daughter Jean, to visit her in India, they thought that the trip would be excellent for him and give him the rest that he sorely needed. He wrote in good spirits from Delhi, where he was to meet this daughter, and then journeyed to Kashmir, but during the journey his weakness became more and more apparent, and, when he arrived at Srinagar, he went into the Nursing Home where he passed away peacefully after 8 days. News has not yet been received of the last days, but the indications are that he sunk without excessive pain. Those who mourn for him here have been full of sorrow, also for the lonely little daughter facing the last sad hours with no other members of her family in such a far distant land.

A memorial service was conducted by Rev. F. W. Rettie at All Saints' Church, Tumut, on Sunday morning last.