The Argus at KellyGang 24/1/1883
PRESENTATION TO MR HARE, PM
A large number of police constables belonging to the Bourke district assembled at the Old White Hart Hotel, Bourke-street east, yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of presenting to Mr Francis A Hare, PM, formerly superintendent of police in charge of the Bourke district, an address expressive of the esteem in which he was held by the men serving under him during his connexion with the force, and as a farewell on the occasion of his promotion to the bench.
Senior-constable MAYES, of Lancefield, who occupied the chair, mentioned, in presenting the address, that Mr Hare had been 16 or 17 years in charge of the Bourke district, and had been known to the majority of those present for over 20 years as comrade and superior officer. His excellence of character, ability, and manly bearing to his subordinates had shown him to be a thorough gentlemen, and endeared him to all the men who had ever come in contact with him either in the way of duty or otherwise.
The address, which was then presented, was tastefully and artistically illuminated, having a photograph of the recipient at the top, and coloured scenes, the old police depot at Richmond and mounted and foot policemen, around the sides, and a large view of the Glenrowan Inn across the bottom. It read as follows:—
“To Francis Augustus Hare, Esq., Police Magistrate— late superintendent of police force, Bourke district.
" Sir,—We, the members of the police force of the Bourke district, cannot allow the occasion of your retirement from the command of this district, and from the police force to pass without offering to you this slight token of the very high esteem and regard in which you were held by us, and without expressing our appreciation of you as an officer for whom we have the greatest respect, as a leader in whom we had the most implicit trust and as a gentleman at once courteous to all without favour to any.
"We also desire to bear testimony to the strict impartiality with which the discharge of your responsible duties has always been characterised. We have great pleasure in remarking that on several occasions you have been specially selected to undertake most onerous as well as hazardous duties and that those have been always carried out in such a way as to reflect the highest credit upon yourself and the force generally. Your action at Glenrowan, for which the Government justly commended you, is undoubted evidence of your courage and fearlessness when engaged in dangerous duties. Whilst deeply regretting your severance from the police force, it gives us great pleasure to know that you have been promoted to a more elevated and responsible position, which is a well-merited recognition of the ability and integrity that you have ever displayed in the discharge of your duties. Through your appointment to the office of police magistrate of this colony, we feel assured that the service from which you are now separated has lost a most efficient, brave, and zealous officer, and the men an able and trusted leader as well as a kind and valued friend. In wishing you farewell, we trust it will give you some pleasure to know that you carry with you our warmest wishes for the health and happiness of yourself and Mrs. Hare, and we hope that you may live long to enjoy the position to which you have been most worthily elevated.
Mr HARE, in responding, said he felt more nervous at meeting so many old friends to say farewell than he did at Glenrowan when he called on the men to " come on," and he asked to be excused for reading the following reply:—I have been afraid to trust myself to address you this afternoon, so I have put the few words I wish to say to you in writing, and if you will allow me I will read them to you. I need not tell you how proud I feel, and the great pleasure I experience in knowing that you have met here to-day for the purpose of presenting me with this most handsome address, When looking at it in after years it will help to remind me of the old depot, where many of you were closely associated with me, and we worked so harmoniously together for the good of the service, and where all of us commenced our career in the police force. I am glad also you put in a view of the Glenrowan Hotel, not that I shall ever require a reminder of that, because I fear my unfortunate hand will never let me forget it, however, it is a page in my life I don't wish to forget. Some time ago I was asked by one of my old con- stables whether I would accept of a testimonial from the men who had served under me, as an expression of their respect and as a token of their esteem. I replied that nothing would give me greater pleasure, after having severed my connexion with the police force, than to receive an address, at the same time stating that on no account would I accept any other gift. The wording of your address is far more complimentary than I deserve. I shall prize it as long as I live, and value it as showing how I gained your confidence and respect. As a rule we are very soon forgotten when re- moved from the scene of our duties. It is now nearly two years since I severed my official connexion with you. Your presentation to-day proves absence has not caused me to be forgotten by you, and I take this expression of your feelings towards me as a far greater compliment than had this testimonial been presented when I was first relieved from duty. Many of those I see here to-day have worked with me for many years, we have had trials and hardships to go through, we have grown up together in the service, in fact I may say spent the best part of our lives together, and mutual confidence has been established between us. I am sure you will believe me when I tell you that I felt greater pain at disconnecting myself from you all than I can well express. Some of you have gone with me through trying scenes, and have been exposed to all kinds of hardships in the search for the Kellys, but our spirits were always buoyed up with the hope that sooner or later we would be successful. Therefore you will, I know, fully realise my feelings of deep regret at leaving you all, after working together so long. Often, when performing some unpleasant and difficult duty you must have felt how necessary it was for the men to have officers over them in whom they have confidence, not only in the mere carrying out of their police duties, but also when advice was needed and assistance required. I always endeavoured when in the force to establish this confidence, and tried to induce the men to regard me not only as their officer, but as their friend. I have great pleasure in looking back, and feeling that such confidence did exist between us. I will not detain you any longer. Some of you will be brought in contact with me, but in a different sphere of duty. If at any time I can be of service in giving you the benefit of my long experience in the police force, need I say that nothing will give me greater pleasure than to do so? Now, my old comrades, in saying good bye, I sincerely thank you, on behalf of myself and Mrs. Hare, for your warm wishes for our health and happiness. I, at the same time, wish you all success in the force. I can only say I hope my successor may be as fortunate as I have been in gaining the confidence and good wishes of you all. Goodbye.
The chairman then presented a handsome gold bracelet embossed with the word " Glenrowan " on the face to Mr Hare, for presentation to Mrs. Hare, as a slight mark of the esteem in which her husband was held by the members of the force who formerly served under his authority on ordinary occasions, as well as on the occasion of the pursuit of the Kelly gang of bushrangers.
Mr Hare suitably replied, and the proceedings shortly afterwards terminated.
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