Labour Australia

Mr Robert Scobie, M.L.A. for The Murray, died suddenly as the result of a heart seizure, at his residence, Halycon, Kambala-road, Bellevue Hill, on Wednesday of last week. He was in his 69th year, and was born at Glasgow, his family belonging to Perthshire. In his early twenties he left Scotland with his wife and young family to take up the management of a large saddlery, and leather business at Bombay, and following upon the financial depression caused by the City of Glasgow Bank crisis, about seven years later, he came to Australia. For a short time he was engaged in business enterprises in the city, and then opened a saddlery and general business at Menindie, on the Darling River, which he continued to conduct up to the time of his election to Parliament. He is survived by a widow, two sons, and four daughters. Of the former Trooper Robert Scobie, who fought at Gallipoli, is now with the Camel Corps in Palestine, and his brother is a Western lessee between Menindie and Broken Hill. Another son, Captain Walter Farms Scobie, who left Australia with reinforcements, and was present at the landing at Suvla Bay, was killed at Pozieres on August 21 last year. The daughters of the deceased are Miss Grace Scobie, who is a well-known figure on the recruiting platform, and Misses Elizabeth, Agnes, and Octavia Scobie.

The late Mr Scobie first entered politics in 1895, when he opposed Sir Joseph Abbott, then speaker, for the old electorate of Wentworth. He was unsuccessful then, and again in 1898, but in 1901 when Sir Joseph Abbott retired from politics, Mr Scobie was elected for Wentworth. Subsequently Mr Scobie was elected for the Murray. His actual period of Parliamentary life was 16 years and 6 weeks— from July 3, 1901, to August 15th, 1917. He was a valued member of the Public Works Committee, and also on several occasions officiated as temporary Chairman of Committees, Mr Scobie was a member of the Labor party, but at the last election he refused to have his attitude on the question of conscription dictated to him. He ran as a National candidate and beat his P.L.L. opponent by over 900 votes.

As soon as the Speaker, took the chair of the Legislative Assembly on Thursday, the Acting Premier (Mr Fuller) announced the death of the member for the Murray. ‘Those of us who had the privilege of sitting here with him,' said Mr Fuller, 'know what a keen debater he was, and the intense interest he took in the welfare of the country. He was a genial, kind-hearted man, full of kindness and the best feeling to all with whom he came into contact.' He would be greatly missed in the House, said the Acting Premier. They all knew the depth of his patriotic feelings, and of his great anxiety for the preservation of the liberties enjoyed in Australia.

Mr John Storey, leader of the Opposition, said the news of the death of Mr Scobie was a very great shock. 'He and I,' said Mr Storey, entered Parliament in 1901, and we were very great friends. Politically and personally he always acted the part of a father to me. Everything, he did in life was the betterment of the conditions of those about him. I never once heard him utter a word of ill feeling to anybody.'

The Speaker also paid a tribute to the deceased.