Richard Joseph Smith

The Queensland Times published an article on 17 November 1883 titled: The Late Mr. R. J. Smith. It read:

The news of the death of Mr. Richard Joseph Smith, Land Commissioner for Moreton, which occurred on Thursday morning last, was received with regret by the townspeople of Ipswich, as we are sure it has been, or will be, by very many, not in this district only, but throughout a great part of the colony. A man like R. J. Smith, as he was familiarly and most frequently termed by most people, who had lived so long in what was really the centre of settlement in the colony, could not but be well and widely known. The deceased gentlemen, who, we believe, did not begin life with the advantages usually supposed to attach to wealth, came to New South Wales when young, and to the Moreton Bay district (now Queensland) about the year 1845. After residing at Brisbane for a time, Mr. Smith started a boiling down establishment on the Bremer a few miles from Ipswich, naming it Town Marie after her whom he has now left a widow. For some years a very extensive business was carried on there, but in time the state of affairs, which had contributed to the growth and prosperity of such industries, altered. A better market opened for stock, which consequently became dearer and could be more profitably disposed of than by being put through the pots. The work at Town Marie fell off, and has never been resumed, but the old buildings still testify to the magnitude of the operations so early carried on at that place. Mr. Smith was, at one time, the proprietor of a saw-mill, but subsequently devoted his attention to pastoral pursuits, having been the owner of the Cabbage-tree Station, and also, we believe, of Tambourine, on the Logan. In 1852 he was chosen as a member of Parliament - the New South Wales Legislature, of course - and, after separation, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of Queensland. He did not escape the financial crisis which occurred within the first decade in the history of this colony and which so many had cause to remember. Mr. Smith relinquished active business; but when land selection began to assume some importance, and legislation was directed towards the settlement of a farming community in this district, Mr. Smith was recommended as the proper person to fill the position of Land Agent at Ipswich. Promotion to the office of Land Commissioner for West Moreton soon followed, and the success of Mr. Smith's administration was testified to by his subsequent appointment as Commissioner for Moreton (East and West) on the death of the late Mr. C. Coxen. He displayed great tact and discernment in discharging the duties pertaining to so important a department as that over which he for so many years presided, and his manner to all was affable and courteous. He gained the reputation - and not without meriting it - of being a careful and honest public servant, who, coming, as it were, between the State and the people, always endeavoured to see justice done on both sides. Neither as a public officer nor as a private citizen was he ever known to speak ill of another, while from his large experience and intimate knowledge of the country and its wants, his advice was frequently sought by his superiors in the Lands Department. A friend of ours once remarked that Mr. Smith had made the for-tunes of many farmers : farmers do not usually acquire fortunes; but, in many instances, Mr. Smith undoubtedly contributed to their obtaining comfortable homes and the means of securing a competence, while, on the other hand, the Treasury has reaped a harvest of thousands of pounds through his exertions. In his administration of the land laws, while seeing that their spirit was carried out, he ever looked favourably upon the bona fide selector and cleared many a little obstacle out of his way. An ignorant selector found in him an honest adviser, but any attempt at scheming or evasion of the Act which came under his notice speedily met, when possible, with its deserts. He assisted materially in opening up and peopling the West Moreton scrubs-now the home of hundreds of settlers and the source from which is derived the greater part of our agricultural pro-duce. Mr. Smith's death will be deeply regretted in this part of the colony, and it will be difficult to find one who can so well fill his place and perform so satisfactorily the arduous duties connected with the land-office. His last illness was contracted, we believe, on the occasion of his visit to Goondiwindi, some three weeks ago, in company with the Minister for Lands and the Hon. B. D. Morehead, the object of which visit was connected with the exchange of the Goondiwindi town common. Since his return he suffered from dysentery, but his friends never anticipated that his indisposition would result fatally - indeed, on Sunday last, the Hon. J. C. Foote, who called in to see him, thought he was progressing very favourably. Appearances, how ever, were delusive. He passed away, on Thursday morning last, at a fairly-advanced, though not extreme, age. During his residence here, Mr. Smith identified himself with several local institutions. He was for a number of years Chairman of the trustees of the Grammar School, President of the Queensland Pastoral and Agricultural Society (of which lie was one of the founders), formerly a churchwarden of St. Paul's, and when volunteering started in Ipswich, he was captain of the Light Horse. A man of his stamp must necessarily have made, many friends, and among the concourse which followed his remains to their last resting-place, yesterday, were many who sincerely deplored his somewhat sudden and unexpected demise.