Quorn Mercury (SA : 1895 - 1954) Fri 2 Jul 19431253

The Late Mr. Frank
Pitman.
One of the best known personalities
in the country newspaper business
in the North passed away when
Mr Frank Pitman died at his home,
Unley on June 10th. The deceased
was the son of the late Albert and
Sarah Pitman, and was born at Warminster,
England, over 68 years ago.
At the age of 9 years he accompanied
his parents and family as immigrants
to Australia. They travelled
in the sailing vessel, "Romsdale," and
the whole passage from England was
unusually stormy, the ship taking
four months to reach Port Adelaide,
and had been given up for lost. The
"Romsdale" was loaded with settlers
for South Australia, and these people
travelled under the exceedingly
crude and rough conditions that
were the lot of the immigrant at that
time.
Upon arrival in South Australia
the family almost immediately moved
to Gladstone. The lot of the newcomers
was hard and at the age of
12 years, Mr Pitman obtained employment
with Mr W. Hancock, then
proprietor of "The Areas Express,"
and remained in the printing business
all his life. Except for a period
of two years, in Perth, Western Australia,
where be gained valuable experience
in both the Government
Printing Office, and the "Daily
News", Mr Pitman spent 34 years
on "The Express", where for a long
period he was foreman printer.
He married Miss Susan Henschke,
at Georgetown.
During his younger days he .was
a keen and popular sportsman, being
a player of football and cricket, and
a lifelong follower and supporter of
all kinds ol sport. He saw considerable
service as secretary and handicapper
for cycling and athletics, had
an intimate knowledge of horseracing,
and always followed football
with undiminished enthusiasm. During
his long residence in Gladstone,
Mr Pitman was a popular local
identity and served his town well.
For many years he was secretary
of the Ornamental Grounds committee
(a body controlling ovals and
parks), and also gave valuable service
in the same capacity with the
local Agricultural Bureau. In 1922
he decided to enter business on his
own account and purchased "The
Quorn Mercury" from the late Mr
W. H. Bennett. On the eve of their
departure from Gladstone, Mr and
Mrs Pitman were given a public
farewell by their Gladstone friends,
when a record crowd and a handsome
gift speeded them on their
way. The next twenty years was
spent in establishing his Quorn business,
where he established a good
plant and his time was wholly devoted
to business affairs. Mr Pitman
was of a quiet and retiring disposition,
and a generous but unostentatious
supporter of every worthy
movement that tended to benefit the
town and district and those closely
associated with him were ever aware
of his sterling character and worth
as a citizen.
In latter years, his health started
to fail, and in February, 1941, he
decided to retire from active work
and took up residence at Unley.
Unfortunately, a strenuous and exacting
life had taken its toll, and
he continued to decline, and during
the past twelve months has been
confined to his room, uttil the end.
He was a lifelong adherent of the
Church of England. The last rites
were said by the Rev. Weston, and
the remains-were interred in the
Springfield cemetery. The bearers
were Messrs L. J. and Bert Crisp,
A. H. Abbott, Syd Ballantyne and
F. Solomon.
He leaves a widow and three
children, Messrs J. V. Pitman (Victor
Harbour), A. J. Pitman (Streaky
Bay), and Mrs L. J. Crisp (Fullarton).
There are six grandchildren.