Archibald Smith Frew (1856 - 1917)

Born 1856 in Magpie, Victoria, Australia

Husband of Catherine (MacDonald) Frew — married 26 Oct 1881 in Queensland, Australia

Descendants

Died 4 May 1917 at about age 61 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Birth and Origins

Archibald Smith Frew was born in 1856 in Magpie, Ballarat, Victoria to Agnes Galloway Russell and David Frew^[1]

Marriage and Family

He married Catherine (or Katherine) MacDonald on the 26 Oct 1881 in Queensland^[2]

They had children.

• Norma Elsie Georgina (Frew) Galloway

Occupation

He was a railway engineer.

"Archibald Smith Frew, or 'AJB.' .. He, also, was a Scotchman. He was the man in charge of the building of the Chillagoe Railway [1887 to 1901], and also had a good deal to do with its survey end location, etc., ... Frew himself was then a man in the prime of life, a big powerful man, with a close clipped grey beard. Stories are told of him that he worked hard himself, never seemed to tire or expect others to tire, that he would shoulder a theodolite, or level, set off at a good brisk walk and keep going all day at the same pace."^[3]

ASF was associated with the Mareeba to to Atherton section. When that was completed, he went to South Africa to help with the reconstruction after the Boer War [finished 1902]. And then returned to Queensland on the commencement of the Etherldge Railway [between Mount Surprise and Forsayth, both in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia], and then Mt. Garnet Railway from Lappa Junction as well as many general surveys, including around Port Douglas before 1912. A. S. Frew had earlier been associated the duplication of the line between Brisbane and Ipswich, and also the Normanton-Croydon line and other works.^{[4] [5]}

In Mareeba, Frew Park (Milton Tennis Couts), Frew Street and Frewhurst were named after Archibald Smith Frew, railway engineer and noted tennis player. ^[6]

Archibald Smith Frew stood as a Tory member for the Chillagoe electorate in 1912, but lost to sitting member, Edward Granville Theodore, miner^[7][8]

"A. S. Frew lived around Brisbane for a time and died in 1917 and Is buried in the Toowong Cemetery.^[9]

Death and Burial

He died 5 May 1917 (aged 60 years) in Sydney, NSW,^[10] and buried in the General Brisbane Toowong cemetery, Queensland^[11]

"FREW.- May 4, 1917, at a private hospital, Sydney, Archibald Smith Frew, of Queensland, aged 60 years. A special service, to which his friends are invited, will he held in Dr. Chalmers' Church, Elizabeth street, Redfern, on Wednesday, at 2.39, Interment in Brisbane on Friday."^[12]

His son, Archibald John Russell Frew of Clayfield, Brisbane was sole executor and applied for probate of his father's will.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ Victorian BDM, 12528 / 1856
2. ↑ Qld BDM 1881/C/256
3. ↑ A.F.W., Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954) Fri 13 Feb 1953, Page 5, AROUND THE CAMPFIRE, Trove, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/62488647
4. ↑ A.F.W, AROUND THE CAMPFIRE, 1953, ibid
5. ↑ Etheridge Railway Line, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etheridge_railway_line
6. ↑ Far North Queensland Place Names E-F, http://queenslandhistory.blogspot.com/2011/03/far-north-queensland-place-names-e-f.html
7. ↑ A.F.W, AROUND THE CAMPFIRE, 1953, ibid
8. ↑ The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Wed 10 Apr 1912, Page 5, LIST OF CANDIDATES. trove, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/19724406
9. ↑ A.F.W, AROUND THE CAMPFIRE, 1953, ibid
10. ↑ NSW BDM, 4660/1917
11. ↑ Headstone inscription, https://billiongraves.com/grave/Norma-Elsie-Georgina-Frew-Galloway/25923306
12. ↑ The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) View title info Tue 8 May 1917, Page 6, Family Notices, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/15712119
13. ↑ The Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933) Sat 1 Nov 1919, Page 17, Advertising, Trove, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/20390843