SYDNEY'S LATE LORD MAYOR

Evening Star, Issue 17311, 26 March 1920, Page 2

SYDNEY'S LATE LORD MAYOR

FUNERAL OF SIR RICHARD RICHARDS. The funeral of the late Sir Richard W. Richards, Lord Mayor of Sydney, and well known in Dunedin as predecessor to Mr Lewin as Town Clerk of Dunedin, was a&tanded by a great gathering of representative men. The remains were interred at the South Head Cemeteiy. A great tribute to the popularity of the dead man was paid at the Bondi Junction Methodist Church. Despite the early hour at which the service was conducted, the building was filled to capacity. About I,OCO people waited outside the church, while the vehicles waiting to follow the cortege filled a side street from the church down to the Bellevue Hill tram line. The service in the church, as well as that ab the graveside, was conducted by the Rev. Joseph Woodhouse, minister of the Bondi Junction Church. The chief mourners were Messrs Charles W. Richards (brother), F. J. Hooke, Felix Booth, and Percy S. Booth (brothers-in-law), Leslie S. Booth (nephew), Mrs S. Hordern, sen., Mrs J. J. Booth, and Mrs Arnold Wbolf (sisters of Lady Richards). Others present at the service and the graveside included Sir Samuel Hordern, Sir Thomas Hughes, Sir Allen Taylor (exLord Mayor), Major-general Lee (State Commandant), Captain Williams (representing the Chief Justice), Aid. R. D. Meagher, M.L.C., Mr Lane Mullins, M.L.C.. Dr Nash. M.L.C., Mr John Travers, M.L.C., Mr E. Farrsr, M.L.C.. Mr R. Black. M.L.C., Mr D. Storey, M.L.C., Mr Bruntnell (Minister of Health), Mr Justice Harvel, Judge Backhouse, Judge Cohen, Mr T. H. Nesbitt (Town Clerk), Mr W. G. Layton (Deputy Town Clerk), i Mr Martin Carrick (Lord Mayor's orderly), the heads -of the various departments of the City Council, and 'a large number of employees of the council. Mr T. S. Gordon (representing Sir Owen Cos), Mr Richard Teece, Inspector Bannon (representing the Inspector-General of Police), Archdeacon d'Arey Irvine, Rev. Canon Charlton, Dr R. T. Patnn (Director-Gene-ral of Public Health). Dr W. G. Armstrong (Deputy Director-General). Mr H. E. Moxham ißank of New -South Wales), Mr D. L. Dowdell (Orient Company). Mr T. W. Neely (secretary of the Board of Health). Mr John Stinson (president), Mr James T. Tillock (director), and the secretary -of Sydney Hospital, and Mr Charles L. Garland (chairman of the Sydney Metal Exchange). The Premier forwarded to Lady Richards a telegram of condolence on behalf of himself and his colleagues, and added: "Sir Richard had a long and distinguished career, and the public life of New South Wales is distinctly poorer by his removal. The city of Sydney has lost "a popular and capable administrator.'' Prominent public men also paid warm tributes to the qualities of the late Lord Mayor, and made reference to his tact and knack of happy speech on notable occasions. He was a very keen student of Shakespeare, and coufd recite lcng passages with accuracy and feeling. Mr Hugh Ward" (managing director of J : C. Williamson, Ltd.) spoke very warmly of Sir Richard's long association with theatrical life, referring to him as one of the best supporters of the stage in Australia.