Obituaries Australia

Augustine Stow, c1900

State Library of South Australia, B 6692/11

Mr. Augustine Stow, who was overcome by an apoplectic seizure on Tuesday morning whilst crossing the park lands between his residence in Miller-street, North Unley, and the city, died at 3.30 a.m. on Friday. He never recovered consciousness after the attack. Mr. Stow, who was 70 years of age, was Registrar of Probates, Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Public Trustee, Curator of Convicts' Estates, Deputy Registrar of Companies, and Chief Clerk of the Supreme Court. His family are widely known and highly respected and have been long settled in the State. His father was the Rev. Thomas Quinton Stow, who arrived in South Australia in 1837, and for many years was pastor of the Congregational Church in Freeman-street, and in whose honor the Stow Memorial Church subsequently was erected. The late Mr. Justice Stow, who was a brilliant advocate and one of the ablest judges who have adorned the bench in this State, was a brother, and so was Mr. J. P. Stow, who was editor of The Advertiser many years ago, and now is the stipendiary magistrate at Port Pirie. The late Mr. Stow occupied a seat in the House of Assembly, representing West Torrens from 1863 to 1864 and Flinders from 1866 to 1868. In March, 1869, he was elected to the Legislative Council and he retained his seat till September, 1871, when he resigned. For a few days in May, 1870, Mr. Stow was Chief Secretary in the Strangways Ministry, and in 1877 he entered the Civil Service. He was appointed Chief Justice's Associate on January 30 of that year by the present Chief Justice. In April, 1884, he succeeded the late Mr. C. A. Wilson as registrar of probates, and received the appointment of Chief Clerk of the Supreme Court, and on March 1, 1886, he was made Administrator under the Succession Duties Acts. The position of Public Trustee rendered vacant by the death of Mr. W. D. Scott was given him on September 2, 1891. Mr. Stow was at one time a member of the Board of Governors of the S.A. Institute. He had been a member of Stow Church for about half a century, and a regular attendant up till the time of his death. Until recently he had been an active churchworker, having acted as a deacon and a Sunday-school teacher. Mr. Stow was married in 1867 to Miss Frew, only daughter of the late Mr. Robert Frew, a former merchant of Rundle-street, who survives her husband. The family consists of five sons—Messrs. Oswald and Wilfred (of West Australia), Norman (of New South Wales), Randolph and Ewart Stow—and two daughters—Mrs. Lyons (of Gippsland, Victoria), and Miss Winifred Stow.