George John Smith was born at home in Panton Hill on the 23rd May 1884, and his birth was registered at Queenstown, Victoria. He was the 6th child of Edwin and Louisa Smith. George went to school at Panton Hill, as did his ten brothers and sisters. When George left school, after completing the 8th grade, he worked with his father on the family orchard at “Beaumont” in Cherry Tree Road Panton Hill. He married Barbara May Bradley on the 6th April 1910 at the Church of England, Albert Park, Melbourne. George met Barbara Bradley when she came to live at Panton Hill with her parents who were the new owners of the Panton Hill Hotel. Barbara was born at Kergunyah in the Kiewa Valley, north-eastern Victoria on the 21st May 1886, and had lived at Ballarat before coming to Panton Hill.
After their marriage, George took Barbara to live in the new home that he built, next door to his parents. Their home, which they named “Wendouree” was situated between Hurstbridge and Panton Hill, and was part of the original parcel of Crown land purchased by George’s parents, Edwin and Louisa in the 1870’s. Following family tradition, George and Barbara established their own orchard on their property at Wendouree, growing many varieties of fruit, though mainly apples and peaches. They had three children, Dorothy, Kenneth and Lester.
During World War 1, on the 28th March 1917, George joined The Australian Imperial Forces. He was almost 33 years old at the time. Though he was a family man with three young children George felt the need to do his ‘bit for the country’. On the 26th November that year, as a Gunner, with his unit, the 5th Field Artillery Brigade, 32nd Reinforcements, George embarked on the HMAS Indarra from Melbourne and disembarked at Suez two days after Christmas 1917. During the war, he spent time at Suez and Alexandria (Egypt), Taranto (Italy), Southampton (England) and Bouelles (France). Before the end of 1918, George was promoted to Bombardier, and it was almost another year before he safely returned to his family when he disembarked from the H.T. Norman in Melbourne on the 18th August 1919.
Shortly after his arrival back home at Panton Hill, George set up business and became the local agent for his fellow fruit growers. Three times a week, the fruit from local orchards was sent to Melbourne by train from Hurstbridge, and George supervised the arrival and the sale of the fruit at the Queen Victoria Wholesale Market in Franklin Street, Melbourne.
George was not in the best of health for some time in the 1920’s and he was worried about the work that needed to be done to keep his orchard running, so in the true community spirit that existed in the district in those years, a working bee was organized to do what needed to be done. The following article was printed in The Advertiser (Hurstbridge) newspaper on the 13th August 1926.
“Wendouree, Cherry Tree Road, Panton Hill, the residence and orchard of Mr. Geo. Smith was the scene of great activity on last Tuesday, when a working bee organized by the Panton Hill Returned Soldier’s Club was carried out. Mr. George Smith, who has been in ill health for some considerable time, was tendered this working bee by the returned soldiers and his friends as a token of the esteem in which he is held in the district. From 8 o’clock until 5.30 work went on apace, with the result that by evening practically the whole of the pruning of the orchard was finished, and a good proportion of the ploughing. The following friends were present and helped to assist in the day’s work; – Messrs. Roach, Pearson, W.Howard, J.Howard, V.Smith, B. Smith, W. Smith, E. Smith, W. Grimes, J. Parkes, L. Crayford, G. Milne, ? Coutie, C. Harris, C.H. Ford, H. Scarce, B. Mills, B. Barber, J. Shanhun, S.Cracknell, J. Moore, J. Handley and C. Cleave.”
George was a hard worker for the local community, being the first Secretary for the Panton Hill Returned Soldier’s Club when it was inaugurated in 1920, a position he held for many years. He was also a committee man on the Panton Hill School in the early 1920’s, Secretary of the Panton Hill Football Club for a few years from 1933, Treasurer of the Panton Hill Progress Association in the 1930’s and Secretary of the Hall Committee around from 1938, and he was always willing to lend a helping hand when needed.
In 1937, George decided to stand for a position on the council at the Shire Elections. The following article was printed in The Advertiser newspaper on the 6th August 1937 read:
“Mr. G. J. Smith will introduce the olive branch when submitting his policy to North Riding ratepayers. His policy which is strictly non-sectarian, is founded on broad returned soldier principles, the main fundamentals being goodwill, peace and harmony. He favors the strictest economy in municipal administration and will, if elected, consistently endeavour to keep expenditure well below revenue with the ultimate view of making a reduction in the present high rates, He contends that the business of the shire should be conducted openly at the council table and shall decline to be a party to any other method of procedure. Important treatment of the claims of all ratepayers and preference of employment to residents or ratepayers without interfering with present appointments are other items contained in his policy. Mr. George Smith served as a gun-layer in the 15th Battery A.I.F. Field Artillery during the Great War and was the first secretary to the Panton Hill Returned Soldiers’ Club when it was inaugurated eighteen years ago – a position to which he was returned at the club’s last annual meeting and now holds. He takes an interest in sport and was secretary to the Panton Hill Football Club during its recent premiership season; and holds the position of secretary to both the Hall and Recreation Reserve Committee. He is an arduous worker for the district. With years of experience as a fruit-grower and commission agent he has full knowledge of the district conditions and the needs of the ratepayers, and has had considerable experience in road construction work. He is a member of a well-known district family, his father, the late Mr. E. Smith being one of the earliest settlers at Panton Hill and a pioneer of the fruit-growing industry.”
Shortly before the start of the great depression in 1929 George purchased a T-Model Ford Truck which was put to good use when he was employed as contractor in road construction for the Eltham Council. George employed his eldest son, Ken and a couple of other local men. Much of their work involved working on the road up the mountain to Kinglake from St.Andrews where the team of men built the bluestone and rock retaining walls on the sharp corners, of which some remain today.
Like many other orchardists from the local area, needing to supplement their income during the difficult time of the depression, and the start of the Second World War, George established a poultry farm, building the shedding himself, and buying the chickens when they were a few days old. Later, George bought an incubator and bred his own chickens. When the eggs were collected they were packed into boxes and sent to Melbourne by train every week .
Barbara was a very talented artist, and some of her much admired oil paintings still hang in the homes of her descendants. She also excelled in all areas of craft work, crocheting and fine needle-work, and created beautiful cushions, tablecloths, doilies, rugs, and much more. Barbara died suddenly at her home on the 22nd August 1954, as she was sitting in bed waiting for George to bring in her morning cup of tea, as was their usual routine.
After Barbara’s death, George made the decision to retire, so he sold his property to his youngest son, Les, who added separate living quarters onto the original home, and with his wife, they continued on with the poultry farm for many years, though not with the orchard as the trees were past their prime by then, and were eventually removed and the land was cleared. George was able to stay on in the home he had built for his bride in 1910, and spent his days pottering in his garden, and tending to the few fruit trees that he kept. George died at the Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital on the 23rd January 1963 at the age of 78. Both Barbara and George were cremated at Fawkner Crematorium, Victoria.
by Leonie Carns
This story was first published in “Fine Spirit and Pluck: World War One Stories from Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea” published by Yarra Plenty Regional Library, August 2016
