Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Monday 16 March 1896, page 6


DEATH OF MR. T. P. PUGH.

The announcement of the death of Mr. Theophilus Parsons Pugh will be re-ceived with regret generally throughout the colony, but more especially by those who have been closely identified with the early history of Queensland. Mr. Pugh had filled numerous important positions in the Southern portion of the colony, and at the time of his death was Police Magistrate at Nanango. He had at-tained the age of 65 years. Mr. Pugh Was born at Turk's Island (Caicos group) in 1831. After being educated at Old Kingswood School, near Bristol, and at Wesley College, Taunton, he served a short apprenticeship as a printer, and then joined the "Southern Times" at Weymouth. Subsequently he was connected with the "Mirror" at Salisbury, and the "Herald" at Swan-sea. Emigrating to Australia, he ar-rived at Moreton Bay in June, 1855. Con-tinuing his Press career, he for a time acted as correspondent to the "Empire" of Sydney. He became editor of the "Moreton Bay Free Press" in 1855, and occupied the editorial chair of that news-paper for four years. In 1859 he was ap-pointed editor of the "Moreton Bay Courier", then a bi-weekly publication, which was shortly afterwards published three times a week, and daily from May, 1861. After leaving what is now the "Brisbane Courier" in 1863, Mr. Pugh was identified with various journalistic ventures, and when the Brisbane "Tele-graph" was started in 1872, Mr. Pugh was its first editor, a position which he retained for slightly over a year. "Pugh's Moreton Bay Almanac" ap-peared in sheet form at the close of 1857, and in book size the following year. In 1860 the scope of the almanac — or, rather, directory — was enlarged, and came out as " Pugh's Queensland Almanac", and its publication has been continued yearly ever since by various publishers. Mr. Pugh was closely identified with the movement for obtaining the separation of Queensland from New South Wales, and from 1857 to 1859 acted as secretary of the committee. Until the appointment of a Government printer, he was the publisher of the "Government Gazette." In 1863 he was elected to represent North Brisbane in the second Parliament of Queensland. He was re-elected in 1867, and became Chairman of Committees. An election taking place In the follow-ing year, Mr. Pugh again secured the confidence of the electors, but almost immediately thereafter he retired from Parliamentary life. Mr. Pugh entered the civil service, and was appointed Police Magistrate at Goondiwindi in 1874. He afterwards filled similar posi-tions at Rockhampton, Warwick, Bun-daberg, and Beenleigh, and latterly at Nanango. Mr. Pugh, at the time of his death, was a patient in a private hospital at Toowoomba. He underwent an operation on the 7th instant, and never recovered from its effects, gradually sinking until he died on Saturday even-ing last.