OBITUARY.

EDWARD STANSFIELD RAWSON

A letter was received by Mr. Wm. Robertson of "The Hollow" from Mr. Charles C. Rawson, announcing the death of his brother, Edward Stansfield Rawson, which occurred in London on the 4th August last, after nine or twelve months' illness.

The name of the Rawson's is closely associated with the early history of Mackay right back in fact to the first days when settlement was taking place.

It was sometime in the late sixties when the two brothers Edward and Charles sold out their interests in Tenningering station on the Burnett, and coming to Mackay took up "The Hollow" station, Mirani.

While conducting this property as a cattle station, they opened butchery at "The Hermitage" opposite the hospital. Mr. J.C. Binney of this town was their manager, and he assisted by the brothers erected the Hermitage building with the steep roof on the property opposite the Hospital, Mr. Geo. Voysey having shown them how to put on the shingles.

In 1872 and '73 Edward Rawson conducted the butchery in partnership with the late Robert Martin of Mandarana, and in 1874 Mr. Martin's interest in the partnership was taken up by Mr. Frances Meynell.

It was then that Mr. Binney resigned to become Town Clerk.

His brother having left to reside in England, Mr. Edward Rawson subsequently engaged in commercial pursuits in Mackay, in partnership with Mr. Stewart, as general commission and shipping agents. It was while conducting this business (1883) that he built the wharf and store on the site of the eastern end of the present Adelaide wharf, which was known right into the nineties as "Rawson's wharf."

During his residence in Mackay, the late Edward Rawson was largely interested in the management and success of public institutions.

He was specially gifted in many ways and took a prominent part in amateur theatricals.

In 1882 and part of 1883 he filled the office of Mayor of Mackay, a position he subsequently resigned.

He was Vice-President of the Mackay Turf Club for a number of years. Also a trustee of Holy Trinity, Mackay, of which he was also a lay reader.

Some time in 1893 an effort was made to form the Hollow property into a limited liability company, for the purpose of subdividing and selling or letting the lands for sugar growing, the intention being to have a sugar mill in some central part of the estate but owing to adverse legislation in connection with the recruiting of Polynesian labour for the plantations and the bank crisis at that time, the effort failed.

Shortly afterwards (1894) Edward Rawson joined his brother in England, and entering into partnership with a Mr. Clayton, commenced business in Cockspur Street, as general agents.

He remained in London ever since.

The late Edward Rawson leaves a wife and three daughters, one of whom was married nearly two years ago in London. Both the Rawson brothers were married to sisters, the misses Harrison, the daughters of an English clergyman.

The late Mr. Edward Rawson was an undergraduate of Cambridge University, and a man of singularly refined and artistic instincts, endowed with a most lovable disposition, and with considerable pretensions to literary and artistic abilities. Indeed the contributions from his pen on local topics in years gone by, especially on humorous subjects, were always looked forward to and keenly appreciated, by not only his circle of intimates, but also the community generally.

He was the firmest and most loyal of friends; in fact the beau ideal of a kindly, cultured English gentleman, and his memory will always be cherished and kept green as well by those of his old and intimate friends in Mackay (whose number by the way, is sadly lessening as time goes on) as by those with whom the names of Charley and Ned Rawson were synonymous with all that is kindly and lovable in human nature.

Apropos of his literary abilities, many of his Australian sketches appeared in the leading London magazines, in one of which (republished three years ago in the "Daily Mercury") the central figure was old "Tommy" Richardson now dead.

The Rawson brothers were cousins of the late Admiral Sir Harry Rawson (Governor of New South Wales), while they were also related to Admiral Collinson of exploring fame, after whom Charles Collinson Rawson was named.

The late Edward Rawson was about 63 years of age, and although such a span of years has elapsed since he left Mackay, quite a number of residents still remembered his sterling abilities, for within half an hour of the news being received in town by Mr. Frank Smith yesterday, the flags at the principle business houses and the Town Hall were fluttering at half-mast, a last tribute to one who had led an honourable career, and had helped to shape the destinies of this town and district.

Source: 
Daily Mercury, September 1911

Sources:

Kerr, John. (1980). Pioneer Pageant. Mackay, QLD: Pioneer Shire Council. p.12-14, 64,90, 93

Ling Roth, Henry. (1908). The Discovery and Settlement of Port Mackay; Halifax, U.K: F. King & sons Ltd. p. 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 75, 76, 85

The Daily Mercury, September 1911

International Genealogical Index ; www.familysearch.org

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