family_gedcom

Before dealing with his record, I think I should recall how he was the first contact I had with the Australian side of the family. I ran into him quite by accident (as I did the American side q.v. cheryl). In March 1957 when I was on a business trip to Australia an acquaintance of mine remarked on the uncommon name and said there was a man of the same name in Sydney. I said "tell me more" and we went straight away to Tattersalls Club, where he said we were bound to find him. Sure enough there he was at the bat talking to two 'horse' men who looked like jockeys. We dined together that night and ultimately repaired to Rose Bay with a crate of beer, where we perused the family bible until the "wee sma hours" much to Ivy's disgust. I wrote the next day to my father and said the family bible had the Chiene crest and he had a picture of Professor John Chiene, who his father had said was a second cousin and the Playfair side on his marriage was "ex" a miss morgan of St. Andrews. What a piece of luck, he was 68 then and as fit as a flea and as lively as a cricket.

To resume, he was born at Semaphore, South Australia in 1883, when it is believed the family were "en route" to Edinburgh for a visit.

He was a good rugby player - scrum half - playing first grade with Eastern Suburbs District Rugby Union Club - one of the oldest District Rugby Clubs in Australia: He played in the same team as Dally Messenger who became known as one of Australias greatest footballers, mainly in Rugby League to which he turned in 1908 after establishing his name in the Rugby Union game.

George would have represented the State, had it not been for the out break of the 1914 - 18 war (he would have been 31 then). He was also a top class fast runner, amateur boxer, being runner up 3 times in the New South Wales Amateur Boxing Championships, being beaten by Duncan Panbury who was regarded as one of Australias finest boxers and Jack reid who later became Australian Lightweight Professional Champion. He fought under the name George Patrick as his employers Reuters did not approve. As correspondent for them he reported the world heavy-weight fight between Jack Johnston and Tommy burns in 1908. Later on, he became Turf writer for "The Country Life" and was the first journalist to predict a great future for the Australian Champion PHARLAP before that horse even won a race. Reference to his foresight and judgment on this point is made in the book "Champions of the Turf" by Frank O'Loughlin.

He was a committee man of Tattersalls for 27 years and was made an Honorary member for outstanding services.

Bruce, his son remembers that he would often recall to him, points of family history, but that he Bruce was always too busy to take it all in; so he had Mark Twain quoted to him by his father:
"When I was 14 my old man was so stupid that I could scarcly bear to have him around me, but when I had turned 21 I was amazed to find out how much the old man had learned in the last 7 years".

He also used to refer to the Mark Twain quotation which I have take the liberty of quoting at the end of the preface, as it seemed to be equally opposite in my case.