Death Of Farrell
p. 23 · Read in the full issue
Arch-Villain of New Guinea Timber Case
THE death occurred in November of Ed ward Farrell, the arch-villain of the New Guinea Timber inquiries which absorbed over a year of the time of Aus tralian Teiritories Minister Ward.
The “syndicate” which claimed it had a timber concession, and bush-ranged the Queensland timber company, Hancock and Gore Ltd., to the tune of £50,000, originally comprised Farrell, Jock Garden, Jock’s son, Harcourt, and Ray Parer.
Jock was put into gaol for conspiracy and allied offences; Harcourt Garden and Ray Parer were tried and acquitted: but Farrell escaped prosecution on the ground of serious ill-health. Judge Ligertwood, who eventually, as a Royal Commissioner, cleared up the whole unsavoury mess, said that Farrell was the chief conspirator.
Farrell was engaged in some sort of activity in and around the New Guinea goldfields before the war, and he knew that a New Guinea timber concession would be extremely valuable. It was he who conceived the idea of using Parer to get a concession through Jock Garden (the Minister’s intimate associate and confidant), and he who carried on the extraordinary negotiations with Hancock and Gore.
Although Farrell escaped prosecution on health grounds in 1948-49, he was quite able to give evidence at the Ligertwood inquiry, and there was a howl a few months ago when, following the Judge’s report, the Federal and State Labour Governments refused to take action against him. However, it is now apparent that he was close to death’s door; and the
Reaper has now gathered him in. He ruined a couple of lives and at least one
political reputation.
Jock Garden probably will be out of gaol soon. The only net results of the notorious Timber Lease case are, there fore that Jock Garden was branded criminal and sent to gaol; Farrell was branded arch-rogue, and is dead; and the Queensland timber company is the loser of £50,000. It does not appear that any one ever tried seriously to find out what became of that £50,000.
Meanwhile, it is now proposed that the New Guinea timber-bearing country in question shall be worked by the Australian Government and Bulolo Gold Dredging- Ltd., in co-operation—BGD presumably to provide the operating organisation. Up to date, it has been the proud boast of Minister Ward that any timber-getting concessions given in New Guinea would be obtained only by public tender.