Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Son of Gideon POTT and Ellen POTT nee PHELPS

Husband of Meron Elizabeth Catherine POTT nee NICLSON

MAJOR ARTHUR POTT.

By the death of Major Arthur Pott, which occurred at the Glenrowan Private Hospital, Brisbane, on the 8th July, the Bowen district, and North Queensland generally, lost an out standing figure.

For almost half a century he had been associated with a variety of public movements, especially in his native district, and was distinguished for high integrity in all his business and private dealings, a tenacity of purpose, and an uncompromising opposition to cant, humbug and dishonesty.

Though hard headed and cautious both in the handling of his own and public affairs, he was ex tremely generous, and many people in the community have cause to remem ber with gratitude good deeds done for them without fuss or ostentation. On the other hand, he strongly re sented an injury, and being incapable of a dishonourable act himself, could not condone it in others, and found it very difficult to forgive it.

The deceased gentleman was the fifth son of Gideon Pott, who was born at Dunfries, Scotland, and who died at the age of eighty-one in the year 1913. Arthur was born at the property on which he lived at the time of his death —"Burnfoot" Farm, on the Upper Don River—on the 5th December 1878.

His first education was at a little school called Warden's Bend. Later he attended the Bowen State School, of which he was Dux in 1893. In 1901, he joined, as a Private, in the Fourth Battalion of Mounted Infantry, and in 1908 was made Second Lieutenant. When the Queensland Defence Force passed to Commonwealth control, he transferred to the Fiftenth Light Horse, which subsequently became the Twenty-seventh, of which, in 1914, he was in command as Captain.

In the first World War he was called up for duty, and was subsequently the Commanding Officer of B Company of the Forty-second Battalion, known as the Queensland "Black Watch,'' and served in Belgium and France.

He was wounded in December 1910 in Armentieres, and invalided to England. He later returned to the Battalion, but was again incapacitated and sent to England, and finally returned, to Australia in February, 1918. He was later appointed Major. He held the unique distinction of wearing the green ribbon for meritorious service for 20 and 40 years respectively.

The sphere of Local Government always held a great interest for him, and in 1911, he was elected a member of the Wangaratta Shire Council, became Chairman in 1914, but was compelled to resign his seat in 1915, because of absence at the war.

In 1921 he again became a Councillor, lost his seat in 1924, regained it in 1926, and sat continuously till May 1943. On the death of Mr. Cunning ham in January 1942, he was appoint ed Chairman of the Council. He had been Deputy Chairman, and Chair man of the Finance Committee for many years. In other movements for the advancement of the district he was always prominent, and was a member of the Queensland Fruit In dustrial Trading Society from 1913 until it was merged into the Bowen Fruit Export Society in 1921, and he became a director of the new organisation immediately, and remained so till his death, being Chairman also since 1941.

He was also on the directorate of the old Bowen District Gold Mining Company, and the Bowen Butter Factory of which the late George Turner and A. B. Heron were fellow directors, a member of the North Queensland Graziers' Association since 1921, of the RSSAILA of A., being its first President; a co-Trustee with the late A. H. W. Cunningham of the successful Scartwater Repatriation Trust, a member of the Bowen P. A. & M. Association for more than forty years, and a Vice President for most of the time, a successful exhibitor of live stock, and in later years of exhibits of farm produce which were outstanding; a foundation member and first President of the Royal Society of St. George, Vice President for a long period and subsequently Presi dent of the Liberal Party, a member of the Masonic Fraternity, being a past master of same, and a member of the Mackenzie Royal Arch Chapter.

In his younger days he was the acknowledged crack rifle shot of the district. In 1913 the deceased married Meron Elizabeth Catherine, daughter, of John Nicholson, by whom, and by his daughter, Meron (Mrs. D. Robinson, of Melbourne) and his son George, he is survived.

The latter is farming the original property of the family, which the Major's father selected in 1897. It is reputed to be the first farm worked on the Don River area. In 1944, a son, Flying Officer Arthur Edward Pott, R.A.A.F., was killed in operations against the Japs over the sea to the North of Timor.

The esteem in which Major Pott was held by all sections of, the community can be judged by the fact that his funeral, which left the St. James Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. on Friday the 12th July was the largest seen in Bowen for very many years. The burial service was conducted by the Rev. R. M. Stevenson, M.A., M.D., D.D., and at the graveside members of the Masonic Fraternity and members of the R.S.S. & A.I.L.A. of A. paid their last sad respects to a very worthy and dis tinguished brother and soldier.