West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 20 April 1954, page 7


FORMER PUBLIC SERVANT DIES AT HIS HOME

Mr. A. O. Neville (right), a former Commissioner of Native Affairs, died suddenly at his home on Sunday morning. Mr. Neville, who was 78, came to Western Australia and joined the public service in 1897. During the next 12 years he worked in the Works and Premier's Departments and handled the reorganisation of the Chief Secretary's Depart ment. In 1910 he was appointed secretary of a new depart ment to organise the tourist trade and immigration. During the next few years he was associated with the introduction of more than 40,000 migrants who had to be housed and settled on the land or employed in other in dustries. While in the Chief Secre tary's Department. Mr. Neville found the original warrant under the hand of King William IV to Gover nor Stirling, and Governor Stirling's Commission, After this discovery he was responsible for the finding and preservation of many ori ginal records including re cords from 1828 to 1877 which filled 500 bound volumes. Mr. Neville was appointed organising-secretary of the War Patriotic Fund at the

outbreak of World War I and was chairman of the perma nent relief committee of the fund which helped the fami lies of soldiers. In 1915 he was appointed Chief Protector of Abori gines besides other duties un til he became Commissioner of Native Affairs when the Native Administration Act was passed in 1936. Although he retired in 1940 after 43 years 'of public ser vice, Mr. Neville was asked by the State Government to represent W.A. at discussions on native welfare in connec tion with the establishment of the Woomera Rocket Range in 1947.