Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/528

 502 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY The late Mr. David Ogilvy Palmer THE commercial man of established reputation who has won his spurs in a fair fight is often pressed to accept numbers of offices which have no direct relationship with his business. His ripe judgment, his discriminative powers, his soundness and acumen, are desired by various corporations and institutions ; and, if he can spare the time, his services are sure to be highly useful to them. These remarks applied in a large measure to the late Mr. David Ogilvy Palmer, who was born at Liver- pool, England, in 1839, and re- ceived an excellent commercial education in one of the best Liverpool houses. Over 40 years ago (about 1858) he left England for Australia, and landed in Mel- bourne, and became associated with the firm of Lorimer, Mar- wood, & Rome upon its foundation in i860. The name of this im- portant house was afterwards changed to Lorimer, Rome, & Co. For 25 years in Victoria, Mr. Palmer was associated with the firm, and he thus gained a know- ledge of Australian commercial affairs which no other colony could so well offer. He filled various useful offices, and, 14 years ago, came to South Australia to manage a branch of the firm in Adelaide, which he conducted with much Hammer C^ Or. Ph..u. ^^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^p^,^,^ ^.^.^^.^^ ^^^^^^ he purchase! the local business. He was justly looked upon as one of the leading commercial men of .South Au.stralia, and his opinion on commercial points always had weight. Mr. Palmer invested considerable capital in the mining industry, and was on the Boards of several well-known companies. With other astute commercial men, he brought much business talent to bear on the supervision of the large interests at stake in these ventures. Combined with his high abilities as a business man, Mr. Palmer was possessed of attractive social (|ualities, which ensured him a wide circle of friends, while his soundness and inflexibility won for him general respect. Mr. Palmer died on December 8, 1898, generally lamented.