Victorian Navy Muster

Alfred Martin Treacy

Paymaster

At 6' 1" Lieut. Treacy would not have been able to stand upright inside Cerberus.

Left to right. Paymaster Treacy, Captain Neville & Commander Kingsford in the Captain's Cabin of HMVS Nelson in 1897.

Photo courtesy of the Museum of HMAS Cerberus.

A footnote on page 408 of the OFFICIAL HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA IN THE WAR 1914-18 THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVY states :-

Paymaster Capt. A.M. Treacy, O.B.E.; R.A.N. of Melbourne; b. Newstead, Vic., 28 April, 1869.

Page 105 of THE NAVAL AND MILITARY CLUB, MELBOURNE states :-
Paymaster-Captain Alfred Martin Treacy, O.B.E. R.A.N. Born 28 April 1869 at Newstead, Victoria. President of the Naval and Military Club, Melbourne, from 31 July 1916 to circia 28 July 1921. Died 9 August 1938 at Toorak, Victoria.

Page 102 of the December 1994 edition of the NAVY SUPPLY JOURNAL states :-

Alfred Martin Treacy was born in 1869. He joined the Victorian Naval Forces in 1894 and was a member of the contingent sent by Victoria to the Boxer Rebellion in China at the turn of the century. It was here he was reputedly involved in close hand combat with the Boxer rebels. On his return to Victoria he was appointed Staff Paymaster of HMVS CERBERUS moored of Williamstown from 1906 to 1907. The paymaster fulfilled the role of the purser, as the position was known prior to 1852, with some added responsibilities. Pursers were members of the King's navy whose role was to organise the victualling including the receipt and issue of food, clothing soap and tobacco. They received only casual appointments and were given the rank of warrant Officers. These new responsibilities included having to account for Government stores and storekeeping on behalf of the Crown.

After the formation of the Royal Australian Navy in 1911, Treacy transferred in 1912 to the new Navy from the Victorian Naval Forces and went on to become the RAN's first Paymaster-in-Chief obtaining the rank of Captain. After 1918 executive titles (i.e. Captain, Commander, etc.) were introduced after the prefix Paymaster. It was at this time that the curl was added to the stripes of rank with the distinguishing white colour between the stripes remaining until 1956.

He was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 1922, retired in 1922 and died in 1933 aged 69. Captain Treacy's widow endowed the Cerberus Chapel fund with £10,000 in her will.

THE COMMONWEALTH NAVY LIST, dated 1st July 1904 states :-
Name PAYMASTER Treacy, Alfred Martin
Date of Birth 28.4.1869
Entry to Service 21.5.1894
Assistant Paymaster 1.7.1895
Paymaster 21.7.1900

Lieutenant Treacy's epaulattes
Details

The Argus, 4 June 1920

Religion	Height	Chest	Build	Hair	Eyes	Tatoo	Comment
R C	6' 1"	39"	Prop	Dark	Blue

From Volunteer Listing kept by CPO Goding & held by grandson Lawrence Dilks, Williamstown. Compared with China Contingent List. Prepared by Ada Ackerly, Directory Williamstown Museum, c 1987.

Profile in The Australian Illustrated Enclclopaedia of The Boxer Uprising 1899-1901, Justin Corfield, Slouch Hat Publications, McCrae Australia, 2001.

Born in Newstead, Victoria

Married in South Yarra circa 1910.

No children.

Died 9 August 1938 in Toorak, Victoria.

Details from Death Certificate courtesy of Shirley Joy.