Malachi James Cahill
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Malachi James Cahill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 11 June 1851 Adelaide |
| Died | 23 June 1916 (aged 65) Bendigo Cemetery, Victoria |
| Burial place | Bendigo Victoria |
| Occupation(s) | Draper and Tailor |
| Partner | Marie Riedle |
| Children | 5 |
Malachi James Cahill (June 1851 – June 1916) was a draper, a tailor and a Chief President of the Australian Natives' Association (ANA).
Cahill was born in Adelaide in 1851 the son of John Cahill and Mary Deehan. Both parents were immigrants to South Australia. John migrating from the Bailiwick of Guernsey and Mary from former Kings County now County Offaly, Ireland. The young family moved to Sandhurst now called Bendigo in about 1857 or 1858 when Malachi was about six or seven years old. Malachi Cahill married Marie Riedle in 1885[1] and they had five children, Vaughan 1886, Alice 1888, Arthur 1889, Xavier 1891 and Cecily 1896.[2]
Business
Cahill became a cloths manufacturer and retailer in Ballarat. In 1874 it is recorded that someone tried to pass a fake cheque to his retail business.[3] In 1882 Cahill gave evidence to a Board of Inquiry into the working hours of shop employees.[4] He gave evidence that he had been in business for seven years, he employed 20 hands whose hours of work were 9am to 6pm in winter; 9am to 7pm in summer with the exception of Wednesdays with 2pm close and Saturdays 9am to 10pm. All the drapers in the town had the same working hours.[4] While Cahill and others had tried longer hours, they found that it was better for their businesses to all have the same working hours.[4] All the Sandhurst drapers including Cahill agreed to close on 10pm Saturdays in 1880.[5]
The council agreed to provide a street gas light outside his shop on Pall Mall in 1878.[6]
In 1881, Cahill started advertising as a tailor from a shop in High St Bendigo.[7] High street abuts Pall Mal. He seems to have had continuing success until a little before the death of his wife in 1898 at which time advertising in the newspaper reduces and in September 1899 all his stock is liquidated.[8] He was declared insolvent in March 1900 with the reason given as a death in the family, poor health and a drop off of business.[9]
The year 1908 finds Cahill working as a manager for the Perfect Tailoring Company.[10] He continued in this role until his death.
Community
Cahill was active in the community predominately though his work in the ANA but also in other roles he played. Like being the secretary of a benefit entertainment in support of the widow of P. Lunch in 1879.[11] He was also involved in planning the 1880 Easter Fair Committee Cahill as the elected ANA representative.[12]
Other involvement was his chairmanship of the Dr John Quick's Electoral Committee up until September 1893.[13] He was also a member of Quick's election committee in 1901, supporting his successful bid for a parliamentary seat in the first federal parliament.[14]