Queenslander (Brisbane, Qld. : 1866 - 1939), Saturday 22 March 1919, page 12


DEATH OF HON. C. CAMPBELL.

THE FATHER OF LOCAL GOVERN MENT IN QUEENSLAND.

A large circle of friends will learn with deep regret that the Hon. Charles Camp-bell, M.L.C, died at his residence, Campbell-street, Toowoomba on Monday.

The late Mr. Campbell was looked upon as the father of local government in Queensland. From the days of the old Divisional Boards he had been pro minently connected with almost every de velopment on the Downs associat ed with local government. He had been a member of the Jondaryan Shire Council since its inception in 1870, and for 25 years was the chairman— sometimes called the "continuous chair man"—of that council. Prior to its first subdivision in the year 1913 the Jon daryan Shire was one of the biggest shires in Southern Queensland, and more than one Home Secretary complimented Mr. Campbell on being chairman of the best managed shire in the State. In those days Mr. Campbell was an active man, and he had a good deal of leisure. This enabled him to give personal supervision to every corner of that extensive shire area, and there was nothing that he loved better. He would go out in his buggy, driving steadily along the roads, and visit ing both homes and villages, to ascer tain the state of the roads and bridges, and the conditions of the ratepayers. The monthly meetings used to be quite a function in themselves. Members would gather in Toowoomba on the night be fore a meeting, hold their informal gatherings, and early next day they would begin to discuss business, which some times lasted till late in the evening. The veteran chairman never sought to smother discussion. If somebody from the Dalby side, or from Milmerran, or somewhere else, had a griev ance, Mr. Campbell gave him ample opportunity to discuss it, whilst he, on his part, would discuss the matter there and then with the clerk or the engineer and find out what was wrong, and when it could be remedied. Jondaryan shire, however, was not the only local govern ment institution to which Mr. Campbell gave his attention. He was an alder wan of the City Council of Toowoomba for many years, and once filled the chair as mayor. He was also a vice-president of the Local Authorities' Association for some years, and was chairman ot the Eastern Downs Tick Board. During the vigorous years of his life Mr. Campbell was closely associated with the manage ment of the Toowoomba District Hos pital, and was president, vice-president, or patron of a very large number of sport ing clubs on the Darling Downs In July, 1914, Mr. Campbell was ap pointed a member of the Legislative Council of Queensland. He attended the sessions regularly, but he confessed quite frankly that he did not feel at home in the halls of the legislature. He in finitely preferred a long day's meeting of the shire council to an evening's de bate in Parliament, where party interests so frequently obtruded themselves in the business of the State, and he seldom spoke in the House excepting on ques tions of local government, or rural matters. The late Mr. Campbell was one of the pioneers of the Downs. He was born near Sydney 70 years ago, and as a young man he arrived, on the Downs with his brother in 1864, and entered upon pastoral pursuits. He watched Too

woomba grow from a very small town into the position of second city in Queensland, and there were few public movements which did not receive direct assistance from his advocacy on the plat form. Of late years he was compelled to forego a lot of his old public engage ments, having baen a martyr to rheuma tism, but Mr. Campbell had to be very ill indeed before he would fail to be present at a meeting of his beloved shire council of Jondaryan. He was the veteran of local government in this State, and no man could have carried the honour with greater dignity than he did. He was a foundation member of the Southern Cross Masonic Lodge, Toowoom ba. The late Mr. Campbell is survived by two sons and five daughters, the youngest son, Walter, and one daughter being with the AIF. His wife pre deceased him five years ago. The funeral will take place to-day, and will be at tended with Masonic honours.