more than the legal limit of three times its paid-up capital, and that much of the new money was borrowed on the security of the society's own loans to borrowers. As a result of his mismanagement of the society's finances, as well as his reckless involvement in other speculative ventures, Mirams resigned as secretary in November 1888. It was the first indication of the unravelling of the boom. The Premier Building Society collapsed just over a year later. In 1890 Mirams filed for insolvency. He had invested about £1,000,000 in land purchases, and his debts amounted to £373,485. His estate eventually paid 2d. in the £1. He was subsequently convicted of issuing a false balance sheet with intent to defraud, resulting in his imprisonment for a year. After his release, he protested his innocence, even unsuccessfully suing The Argus for libel. Later years Mirams became an accountant, and published A Generation of Victorian Politics in 1900. A year later he was unsuccessful as a candidate at the election for the first Commonwealth Parliament, and in 1912 he was the unsuccessful Labor candidate for Evelyn in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. Mirams died at Moonee Ponds in 1916. References 1839 births 1916 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly English emigrants to colonial Australia People from Lambeth Australian farmers Australian educators Australian booksellers Australian fraudsters