George William Bashford 1840 - 1893

George William Bashford 1840 - 1893

George volunteered onto the Britannia on 16 July 1860 (his service number was 10924A) for a period of 10 years and was NOT an apprentice. On these records he is noted as being 5' 9½" inches tall wth a swarthy complexion, brown hair and grey eyes, and he has a scar on the back of his left hand. There is no posting information on his service record, so apart from time on the Britannica, it is not known where else he served. 

Despite his 10 year enlistment contract, five years later we find George in Queensland. We don't know how he got here, but we know he didn't emigrate via a scheme (assisted or unassisted).

A newspaper article on Sarah Ann in the Ipswich Time in 1927 notes that George arrived "some time after" the Fulleloves (but does not indicate the ship or immigration status). It does note that his first job in Queensland was to wait on the tables at the function at Bigge's Camp celebrating the opening of the first railway line in Queensland, which was in July 1865. So it seems highly likely that his arrival was some time in the first half of 1865. Another researchs notes that he was bought out in the employ of Peto Brassey and Betts who won the commission to build the Main Range Railway between 1865 and 1867, but found himself unemployee in early 1866 when public works were suspended in response to the financial crisis in Europe. 

By August 1866 he his noted as being a gardener - potentially at Bella Vista Market Garden on Whitehill Rd at Newtown. 

By 1868 he is noted in the Post Office Directory as a Green Grocer. 

In February 1868 there is a George Bashford who applied applies for a Publicans license for a hotel at Oakey Creek at his house (see advertisement right). It was granted in on the 10th of March. We believe confirmation that this is our George, comes in a reference from his wife's that they spent "several years in Maryborough".

George's stint as a publican in Maryborough, didn't last for long, as by 1870 he is back in Ipswich. 

Between 1870 and 1873 he and his wife won numerous prizes at the agricultural shows for their vegetables and grains - the family is referenced as being from Newtown at the time.

In December 1870 he purchased a fruit stall at the Christmas Races for 7 5s

It is most probably that George moved into contracting at the behest of his father-in-law -Thomas Fullelove - who was previously a reservoir contractor in England and was involved in road contracting.

In the early 1870s George (at the age of 30) - about the same time he moved into contracting - began to gain a public profile, gaining regular mentioned in the newspapers. He was politically active (directly nominating candidates for election) and endorsing public petitions for candidature. He was a large supporter of George Thorn Esq. 

It is not known where the family lived in Newtown, but it must have been a relatively nice property because over the next few years he had a number of weddings there, church picnics

In February 1873 George was nominated for Committee membership of the Ipswich and West Moreton Agriculatural and Horticultural Society. At the same time he was nominated to run as an Alderman in Ipswich, but was unsuccessful.

In November 1873 he ran for Parliament as the member for Bundanba in Ipswich, but was unsuccessful, and there was some scathing commentary in the Queensland Times about his aptitude for the position. His election speech (published in the Queendsland Times on 11 November 1873) can be found in the related documentations below

In February 1875 he sells up a number of first class draught horses, saddle horses, cows, trollies, ploughs and harnesses, equipment that was used extensively at the time in road and railway construction.

In 1875 he was elected as an Alderman in Ipswich, in February 1875 he was disqualified from the position by the Mayor (See newspaper article) and then later in March his nomination into the vacancy was returned without opposition. a position which he held thru 1876 until February 1877 when he resigned.

From 1873 to 1877 he is noted as a Stewart at Ipswich Turf Club (along with a number of other notables, include Hon George Thorn), and in 1876 he was Clerk of the Course.

The through the 1870s and the first half of the 1880s the family propspered off the back of George's Railway Success. Between the early 1870s he built over 250 miles of track for around £750,000, including:

• three sections of the Great Western Railway, 
• the Sandgate, 
• Harrisville to Dugandan, 
• a section of the Brisbane line in the, vicinity of Dinmore, 
• Cooktown, Mourilyan Harbour,Cairns lines, 
• numerous branch lines
• and the construction of the Beenleigh to Southport line when (where he became insolvent)

A full overview of his railway career including relevant newspaper articles is available here.

Things started to go badly for George some time in mid 1880s. Despite having an excellent reputation and highly loyal work force railways were a growth business in the last three decades of the 1880s. There were lots of speculators around, and the Queensland Government has a policy of accepting lowest tender. The railway market was highly competitive with significant undercutting, leaving very little margin for the contractors. There was a significant number of insolvencies, and George wrote a number of different articles in the media on this issue, these are included in the discussion of his railway career.  

In late 1887 despite being successful on the Beenleigh to Southport and Nerang extension of the Southern line, George started selling off assets. In December 1887 he went south to Sydney on business, and never came back. 

His family obviously had no idea of his where about. It appears that the QUEENSLAND NATIONAL BANK took ownership of Claremont in 1892 - In September 1892 there is a To Let notices in the Queensland Times 

"TO LET, Unfurnished, the HOUSE, at Limestone, formerly occupied by George Bashford. Apply to the QUEENSLAND NATIONAL BANK LIMITED" .

It looks like the bank initially leased and later sold off the core of the property. It appears that the family were left with enough to buy property in the same street as Claremont - Bella Vista. Bella Vista is located at 60 Blackall St and the family are living in there in November 1893.

George's died at his residence on Main Street, Zeehan, Tasmania on 2 July 1893. Funeral parlor records indicate that his burial service conducted by W. Shenton a methodist minister and a Mr James P Read with witnesses Mr L McCoombes and Mr S.H. Ploetz.

But that wasn't where the dramas ended for the family. There were ongoing issues with Georges estate and after a protracted probate period (and will lodgement on 4 separate occasions), it was finally settled in October 1896. It must have been devastating for Sarah Ann that - after ten child; the rapid rise in the families standing and then public decline - George's will made no mention of his Ipswich family. 

George left his entire estate (not that it amounted to much after the bank had a go at it) to a Tasmanian woman - Name to be Confirmed

Sarah Ann passed away on 16 August 1935 at the ripe old age of 91 (it should have been her 69th wedding anniversary). At the time of her death she was living still living at Bella Vista in Blackall St Basin Pocket, Ipswich. Her burial service was provided by Methodist Minister, Rev A.H. Stoke and witnessed by Mr W. Smith and Mr James Edward Burren.

Queensland Times 6 Dec 1887

Lot 19, Eastern Suburbs.1 ROOD 31 9/10 PERCHES, being Re-subdivision 1 of Subdivision 7, 8, and 9 of Allotment 85, Bremer-street; fenced; and adjoins the residence of Mr George Bashford. Lot 20, North Ipswich.

At the turning of the sod last week of an extension of tho Fassifern railway; the con' tractor, George Bashford, gave a little of his experience as a Government contractor,stating in the course of his remarks that after ho hail completed the contracts now in handhe would havo constructed tor tho QueenslandGovernment 250 miles of railway, for which he would have received £750,000, oi; £3000per milo on the average.