Obituaries Australia

The many friends of Mr. Arthur Manning Topp will be grieved to learn of his death which occurred on Monday night at his residence, Cromwell road, Hawksburn. Mr. Topp was born at Huddersfield, Yorkshire in 1844, and was the eldest son of the late Samuel Topp, who came to Melbourne in 1855, and was for many years engaged in the woollen trade. The family came out in 1858, and Mr A. M. Topp was one of the pupils who attended on the day of the opening, of the Church of England Grammar school. Later on he joined his father in business, but his tastes soon led him into literary work, with which he was identified for many years. He was one of the founders of the Melbourne Review in 1876, and was a member of the editorial committee. In 1882 he joined the staff of The Argus as cable sub-editor, and he held that position for about 20 years. Subsequently he regularly contributed reviews and leading articles to The Argus and The Australasian, until failing health compelled him to relinquish this service. For nearly two years he was practically bedridden, and his condition unhappily left no hope of his recovery. He leaves a widow and two sons Mr. A. B. Topp and Mr. W. A. Topp, the latter being a member of the Australian Imperial Forces in Egypt. One of his brothers, Mr. S. St. John Topp, the well known equity barrister, died several years ago, and his surviving brother is Mr. C. A. Topp, I.S.O., formerly public service commissioner of Victoria. The late Mr. A. M. Topp was a man of very wide reading; he had a remarkable knowledge of international affairs and politics. His literary gifts were of a high order, and his colleagues will ever remember him for his power of incisive criticism, for his sane outlook, and for his happy temperament, which endeared him to everyone.