Obituaries Australia

Richard Twopenny, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 September 1915

Mr. Richard Ernest Nowell Twopeny, late Editor and part proprietor of the Review, died suddenly in England on or about 1st September. The news came as a shock to his many friends in Australia, as from latest mail reports he was in good health.

Mr. Twopeny was a son of the late Venerable T. Nowell Twopeny, who was Archdeacon of Flinders (South Australia) from 1865 to 1869. He was born at Little Casterton Rectory, Rutland, England, in 1857, and came to Adelaide with his parents. He began his journalistic career there, and later became Secretary of the Royal Commissions for South Australia to the International Exhibitions of Paris (1878), Sydney (1879), and Melbourne (1880). In conjunction with M. Joubert, he managed exhibitions at Adelaide and Perth in 1881, and at Christchurch (New Zealand) in 1882. For the seven years between 1883 and 1890 Mr. Twopeny was Editor of the Otago Daily Times, New Zealand, and he was then appointed Executive Commissioner of the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition. Mr. Twopeny, in conjunction with Mr. A. W. Pearse, founded the Pastoral Review in 1891, and he was Editor of that paper for nearly twenty years. He had written books both in English and French, and was an officer of the French Academy. Mr. Twopeny was a cultured man, and he had travelled largely in all parts of the world. He was an excellent organiser, as was proved by the success attained by the exhibitions with which he was associated, and he earned a high reputation as a journalist.

Mr. Twopeny had no children, but has always shown a great interest in his nephews, sons of Mr. E. N. Twopeny, of South Australia. Mr. T. N. Twopeny, the second one, who has for some years been on the staff of the Review, has enlisted in the reinforcements for the 1st New South Wales Infantry Battalion, and leaves shortly for the war and Mr R. E. N. Twopeny, jun., the youngest nephew, has a commission in King Edward's Horse.

Mr. Twopeny was of a particularly kindly disposition, and has hosts of friends throughout Australia and New Zealand who will grieve to hear the news of his early death.