Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Wednesday 1 March 1939, page 16


NOTED BANKER'S DEATH.

SIR ERNEST RIDDLE.

Distinguished Career.

The death of Sir Ernest Riddle, for-mer Governor of the Commonwealth Bank occurred at his home in Trelaw-ney Stieet, Woollahra, yesterday after-noon. He was in his 66th year.

Sn Ernest Riddle retired a year ago after having been Governor of the Commowealth Bank for mote than 10 years. His retirement was caused by illness

Sir Ernest was appointed Governor of the Commonwealth Bank in 1927 after having served in the institution since 1915 shortly after its establishment. In 1932 he was re-appointed governor for a further term of seven years but he resigned early last year, when about 18 months of his term remained, and he vacated office on February 28, exactly a year before his death. He was knighted in

1933.

Starting as a clerk in the little weatherboard

office of the Bank of Australiasia at Narrabri,

New South Wales as a boy of 16 on £40 a year, Sir Ernest Riddle through his outstand-ing ability and profound knowledge of finance worked his way to the highest position in banking in Australia. Throughout his distin-guished career he was exceedingly popular.

Sir Ernest Riddle was born at Narrabri on April 5, 1873. He was a son of Mr. John Riddle who was a pastoralist of Gundemaine Station In that district. He joined the Bank of Australasia in 1908 and remained with that bank until 1915 when he resigned to join the Commonwealth Bank.

He was appointed manager of the Perth branch of the Commonwealth Bank a posi-tion which called for a man of outstanding ability because of its distance from head-quarters. He remained there until 1923 when he was made acting manager at Sydney. In 1924 he was made inspector, but before the year ended he became manager in Melbourne. A year later he was appointed deputygovernor and two years later he was appointed

governor.

ADVISER AT OTTAWA

Sir Einest Riddle attended the Imperal Con-ference at Ottawa in 1932 as adviser on fin-ancial matters to the Australian delegation.

He travelled extensively and was known and respected among bankers all over the world. He visited Great Britain twice on business for the Commonwealth Bank.

While Sir Ernest Riddle was Governor of the Commonwealth Bank Australia passed through the difficult times of the depression.

A tribute to Sir Einest Riddle's populatity was paid by the staffs of the metropolitan branches of the Commonwealth Bank when he retired last year. More than 1,000 persons attended a function in his honour.

In his young days he was a keen sportsman. He was an expert rifle shot and a first-class golfer and tennis player. He was keenly in-terested in military training and for a long time was a major on the reserve. During the war he was in charge of the Blackboy train-ing camp at Perth for a time until he was withdrawn by the bank.

Sir Ernest Riddle was a member of the Royal Sydney Golf Club and the Australian Club. In his retitement he had played bowlss at the Royal Sydney Club in an effort to  

restore himself to health.

He married Miss Annie Bibby of Manches-ter, England in 1899. Lady Riddle, who is an enthusiastic church worker and a musician of note survives him. Sir Ernest is survived also by his son Mr. John Riddle, a Sydney solicitor of the film of Manning, Riddle and Co. and a daughter, Miss Enid Riddle.

The funeral will take place tomorrow. A

SIR ERNEST RIDDLE.

service will be held at St. Andrews Cathedral at 10 a.m. and the funeral will proceed to the Northern Suburbs Crematorium.

TRIBUTES TO SERVICE

The Prime Minister, Mr. Lyons last evening expressed great regret at the death of Sir

Ernest Riddle.

A high tribute to Sir Ernest Riddle was paid last night by Sir Harry Sheehan the present Governor of the Commonwealth Bank who succeeded him. Sir Harry Sheehan

said: -

Sir Ernest Riddle, as governor of the Com-monwealth Bank for 10 years, and a senior executive officer since the bank was stab-lished, helped greatly to build up the strong institution which exists to-day and he ren- dered signal national service. He will be remembered by all in banking circles, in commercial and industrial life and particu-larly throughout the Commonwealth Bank service for his lovable disposition his honesty of purpose, his straight-forwardness and in- tegrity and his sound knowledge of banking."

Sir Claude Reading, chairman of the Com-monwealth Bank said that havlng been a colleague of Sir Ernest Riddle for 12 years on the board of the Commonwealth Bank he was in a position to know at first hand and to appreciate Sir Ernest Riddle's loyalty and devotion to that institution and his re-sponsibility as govenor during that period.

His high standaid of integrity and con-

duct acted as an inspiring example to all his fellow officers in the bank," said Sir Claude Reading.

"Sir Ernest Riddle was held by the trading banks in the very highest esteem," said the chief inspector of the Bank of New South Wales, Mr. T. B. Heffer last night. "He was a very helpful, likeable man, most ap-proachable and his word was his bond."