COLLAPSE ON GOLF LINKS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 410, 19 July 1928, Page 11

COLLAPSE ON GOLF LINKS

SIR JAMES FAIRFAX DEAD SPLENDID TRIBUTES PAID (United P.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright) Reed. 10.20 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. When Sir James Fairfax, one of the owners of the “Sydney Morning Herald,” had just finished a strenuous gam© of golf on the Rose Bay links yesterday afternoon, he collapsed. He was taken to a hospital, where he died shortly afterwards. His age was 65. Expressions of deep regret at the death of Sir James are arriving from all parts of Australia. Splendid tributes to his high place in Australian journalism, in public and philanthropic affairs, have been received from the Prime Minister, the State Premiers, and the editors of the chief Australian newspapers. The funeral takes place to-day.

Sir James Oswald Fairfax, wbo was the third son of the late Sir James Reading Fairfax, was a director of John Fairfax and Sons, Ltd., proprietors of tire “Sydney Morning Herald.” He was born in Sydney in 1863, and was educated at the Sydney Grammar School. He later went to Balliol College, Oxford, read law at the Inner Temple, London, and was called to the Bar in 1885. In the following year he entered the office of the “Sydney Morning Herald,” becoming a partner in 1889 and afterwards a director. He has ever since been closely associated with his brother, Mr. Geoffrey Fairfax, in the control of the paper. He was one of the Australian delegates to the first Imperial Press Conference in London in 1909. He played an important part in making a remarkable success of the third conference held in Australia in 1925. He was associated with many social activities in Sydney and was keenly interested in yachting, motoring and golf. During the war the late Sir James Fairfax did fine work for the Red Cross organisation, and in recognition of this work a knighthood of the Order of the British Empire was conferred upon him in 1926. Among other positions that he held was that of chairman of the Australian section of - the Empire Press Union.