Page:Notable South Australians.djvu/175

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OR, COLONISTS—PAST AND PRESENT.
143

Rev. Francis Robert Coghlan, B.A.,

WELL known as the Incumbent of St. Bedes, Semaphore, and one of the most eloquent of divines, died June 7, 1885. Educated at an Oxford College, he possessed those qualifications which betoken the accomplished orator, whilst to these were added true kindliness of heart and sympathy for the deserving. Shortly after his arrival he was first engaged in the curacy of Christchurch, North Adelaide, and there established the Christchurch Collegiate School, in which his eminent abilities secured him many pupils. On the death of the late Rev. Jas. Pollitt, Mr. Coghlan was appointed to the incumbency of St. Luke's, Whitmore-square, and this he retained until compelled to resign it by failing health, when he left this cure and went to the Semaphore, where he was associated with the Rev. Mr. Young in a Collegiate School. He was only 40 years of age at the time of his decease.

Joseph Mellor,

BORN at Elland, Yorkshire, September 9, 1808; arrived in South Australia June 27, 1840, with his wife and one child, by the ship "Fairlee." Adelaide was then covered with timber, though the streets were laid out, but not formed. He first worked at his trade (carpenter and joiner) for Mr. Pitman, builder, of Rundle-street, receiving from 16s. to 20s. per day; but in consequence of the high rates charged for all necessary commodities, it was, even with such wages, hardly possible to make ends meet. Mr. Mellor next took a farm at Goodwood, but with seed wheat at 21s. per bushel, and the crop when reaped only fetching 2s. 6d. per bushel, it was evident to him that to continue farming would result in serious loss; so he gave it up. He was of an inventive and speculative turn of mind, and undertook several Government contracts, one of which was to clear the trees