Australian Dictionary of Biography

Albert William Monds (1864-1945), businessman and civic leader, was born on 22 November 1864 at Launceston, Tasmania, second son of eight children of Thomas Wilkes Monds and his wife Angelina, née Hall. He was educated at Mr Baxter's school at Hagley, Horton College, Ross, and Mr Leech's school at Launceston. After brief commercial experience Albert joined the family milling business at Carrick. As a result of the illness of his elder brother he became the effective manager of the mill when his father retired to Launceston in 1888. Later, his younger brother Charles was admitted to partnership, the two surviving sons each holding equal shares with their father. On 23 February 1898 Albert married Fanny Robertson at Westbury.

Of Wesleyan and later Congregational conviction, the Monds family was always pious, reflecting their Huguenot origins. Albert took a leading part in Church affairs. Conservative, diligent and considerate, he was scrupulously honest, enjoying an honourable reputation with employees, customers, farmers who supplied grain and with all public bodies.

For most of his life Monds was active in civic affairs. A chairman and treasurer of the Carrick Road Trust and councillor of the Westbury municipality, he was an alderman of Launceston City Council in 1919-37, and exercised his financial acumen as mayor in 1920, 1921 and 1932. In the footsteps of his father, from 1925 he was a board-member (chairman, 1933-45) of the Launceston Bank for Savings, chairman of the Equitable Building Society, and after 1918 head of the merged competing family companies reconstituted as Monds & Affleck Pty Ltd. A skilled engineer, he supervised the installation of roller milling equipment at Carrick and later directed the construction of a new flour-mill at Launceston.

Monds was a member of the Tasmanian Turf and Longford Racing clubs and president of the National Agricultural and Pastoral Society. A committeeman of the Northern Fisheries Association, he was also president of the Launceston City Band and a member of the Launceston Public Library Board. His interest in young people never flagged: he was a board-member of Broadland House Church of England Girls' Grammar School, the Launceston Girls' Home and the Ministering Children's League. He enjoyed travel and visited England in 1898 and again in 1925 when he went to America as well. He was a keen fisherman and noted in his youth as an excellent shot.

Monds died on 10 February 1945 and was cremated. A son and a daughter survived him; his wife had died in 1939.