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Lawrie died in Darwin in January 1920 leaving an estate in both the Northern Territory and New South Wales
valued at 27 657 Pounds. Holmes received a sixth share that included Humpty Doo and Nutwood Downs stations,
and other real estate.
As an extension of his cold store business Holmes provided the first reticulated electricity in Darwin under the
‘Electric Energy Agreement Ordinance 1923’. He was immediately prosecuted for obstructing the ‘King’s Highway’
by erecting telegraph poles and it was some time before the Town Council and the Administration could agree
on how best the poles might be situated. After this difficulty was resolved Holmes obtained a contract from the
Town Council for the reticulation through a small section of the town. The electricity plant commenced operations
on 10 September 1924, the erection being supervised by Vestey’s chief engineer. The private service, which was
costly and unreliable, was continued until 1934 when it was taken over by the Darwin Town Council. Holmes
had by then died and his trustees fought valiantly, including taking Supreme Court action, to prevent losing their
contract.
Holmes suffered from diabetes and being far from well early in July 1929 travelled to Sydney accompanied by
a ‘faithful’ nursing sister who had long looked after him. For the flight she was dressed as a ‘gentleman’, which
caused some comment in the press. He left in one of the first ‘medi-vac’ trips made by Qantas from Darwin and
many turned out to see him go for which the press published his thanks. He was not, however, to recover and died
suddenly on 1 August and was cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium, Sydney.
Holmes was one of the most successful businessmen of his day and no other estate of a Territory resident,
prior to the Second World War, was anything like his in its value. Probate of his will was granted to his executors
the Permanent Trustee Company of Sydney and Sydney Seller Godfrey of the ES & A Bank, in New South
Wales on 23 August 1929 and was resealed in the Northern Territory on 10 June 1930. The estate was sworn in at
90 063 Pounds; 53 238 Pounds represented assets in the Northern Territory, the balance being in New South Wales.
Among the assets in the latter state was a home in Northbridge, Sydney and substantial bank deposits.
The Northern Territory assets comprised a third share in the Don Picture Company (the balance held by
G F Wedd); sole ownership of Humpty Doo, Nutwood Downs and Maryfield stations with their accompanying
grazing licences and a half share in Saint Vidgeon’s Springs with its grazing licence. He owned perpetual town
leases over 13 Lots in what is now the Fannie Bay area; a land grant which was used for slaughter yards at
Fannie Bay; freehold title over an area now comprising much of the northern suburbs of Darwin from Rapid Creek
to Holmes Jungle; 12 freehold Darwin town Lots on which were erected a number of houses and staff quarters as
well as the butchery, bakery, electric light supply, aerated water manufacture, and ice and cold storage. Until the
late 1970s the corner of Smith and Knuckey Streets in Darwin, at which Holmes conducted his business, was
known as ‘Holmes Estate.’
The Northern Territory Times and Gazette described Holmes as a ‘remarkable’ man who carried on his business
‘with indomitable spirit and energy’ though he seems not to have been particularly well respected. A lengthy
obituary commented that although he had great vision for the future ‘he was by no means faultless and by some of
his business methods he earned not a little abuse and dislike’. The electricity reticulation Holmes had installed was
costly and unreliable but, as the columnist pointed out, he had borne the installation cost himself and it was only
‘due to his courage and far sighted enterprise’ that Darwin residents enjoyed the ‘civilized blessings’ of electric
light, cold storage and ice. With a butchery and bakery as well he clearly controlled the provision of most services.
His aim, however, appears to have been only to make money for he sought no political influence. He was elected
to the Darwin District Council at the head of the poll for a year in July 1913 but played no other part in the life of
the town.
Although considered a very hard man, he was good to his employees. He remembered his long term employees
in his will, some receiving substantial bequests, and provided accommodation and messing, which was closed after
his death, after having operated since 1907.
His recreation was horse racing; by 1916 he had a stable of horses and was generally most successful. It was
said of him that he was an exceptionally good judge of both horses and cattle and he took an active part in local
race meetings. He also indulged this hobby in interstate races under the name ‘I Felix’. When he died one of his
racehorses was valued at 892 Pounds and 10 Shillings, a substantial sum at the time.
On 29 September 1917, giving his age as 47, he married Cleo, the 17-year-old daughter of the Japanese pearler
Charlie Hamuara, who gave the necessary permission as she was under age. A daughter, Lillian, was born on
3 March 1918 and educated at a private school near Sydney. It was claimed that Holmes doted on his daughter but
in his will he left her and her mother comparatively unprovided for, given the size of the estate. The value of the
bequests to them was estimated to be barely a third of the estate. He also left legacies to three sisters, his nieces and
nephews as well as his employees. A further large bequest was made to an executor, Sydney Seller Godfrey, with
the residue going to the Presbyterian Inland Mission for hospital and bush nursing in north Australia. The trustees
apparently dealt with Holmes’s widow and daughter very ruthlessly. Margaret Widdup was later to relate that a sale
was held of everything in the matrimonial home. Friends and neighbours rallied around and bought items known
to have been the personal possessions of his widow and these were later returned to her.
Holmes’s wife, daughter and sister were moderately successful in an action under the Testators’ Family
Maintenance Act in June 1932 after two earlier unsuccessful attempts that failed as the presiding judge ruled that
he had no jurisdiction. Their legacies and those of Holmes’s sisters were to take priority over other bequests; even
so, his daughter’s inheritance was dependent on her not leaving Australia after the age of 21 and if his widow
remarried or led an ‘immoral’ life her entitlements were also to cease.
D Lockwood, The Front Door, 1969; Chronicle, 8 August 1929; Northern Standard, 2 August 1929, 1 July 1930, 28 November 1930,
2 December 1930, 10 November 1931 & 12 July 1932; Northern Territory Times and Gazette, 21 January 1900, 14 August 1903, 6 May 1904,