Georges Railway Career

George as a Railway Magnate

In 1871 he started in works construction, building a culvert at Redbank Plains. In June 1872 and again in February 1873 he is mentioned as the contractor on bridge constructions at ? and Walshes Bridge, Bundamba respectively. In February 1872 he advertised in the Queensland Times for 

In 1874 he took up a small contract on the Brisbane Ipswich Railway construction, he was highly successful

In 1873 and 1874 he has property and livestock stolen from his campsite at Saddlers Crossing. This wasnt the first time in 1873 he had 'lost' notices for livestock in the Queensland Times. Later in October 1874 it there was notices of theft of timber and other materials from the Railway Bridge Constructions sites. 

In 1876 he submitted a tender for part of the No1 and 2 sections of the Southern and Western Dalby to Roma line, but was unsuccessful, because he was only able to tender for one section due to cashflow issues. He submitted a tender for Section 3 and 4 of the Roma extension and was successful with Section 3. the tenderer for Section 4 was subsequently disqualified. He was later the successfull tender for the No. 5 and 6 sections of the Roma line, but was unsuccessful on No. 7 section - which was awarded to Frazer, Macdonald, and Co.

In 1877 he advertised for a "thoroughly competent account and correspondant" a clear indication that his business was growing in the size and revenues

In ??? he tendered for and was awarded the Sandgate Railway.

In ??? he tendered for and was awarded the Cooktown Railyway

In January 1886 he was unsuccessful on the extension of the railway from Tenterfield to Wallangarra, he was also unsuccessful on Section 9 of the Western Railway from Dulbydilla to Charleville. He noted at the time of his submission that "he had made up his mind that thetender he was sending in to-day for the 9th seotion of the Western Extensionshould he his last till prices had improved. He had undertaken contracts at Cooktown, at Maokay, and at Stanthorpe, the extreme north and the extreme south of our present railway system, but his experience was that the profits did not compensate for the risks that were run and the capital that was invested. He had been a roilway contractor for ton year**; he wan tired ofit on present terms ; prices had been baa ten down to an unpayable point. He indicated that this was the remit of the economical system pursued by the Chief Engineer. His estimates were so low that tenderers could not get down to them with a reasonable margin of :profit. "

Stanthorpe to the Border Railway extension, which was completed prior to the contract date of 1 Jun 1887. The line was opened for traffic in the February. 

In December 1886 his tender was accepted as the prime contractor for the construction of the continuation of the South Coast Railway from Beenleigh to Southport and Nerang (a distance of 29 miles) The price is £153,832. 

In August 1887 he tendered for the Valley Branch Railway. He was NOT the lowest tender (declared as Messrs Ahear, McArdle and Thompson)

In ? he was awarded the construction of the Fassifern line (a 17 mile piece of line tendered at £158,386 and planned for completion by March 1887). Work started in 7 January 1886 and involved 251 men and 117 horses and bullocks and progressed at pace, but the project was which was fraught with issues and accidents, including a ballast train incident which resulted in a deaths and numerous serious injuries. The recently passed Employer Liability Act, meant that he would have to compensate the sufferers for all injuries recieved. Court cases followed in September 1887 which saw the court find for George, but in recognition of the fact that this would likely be overturned by the Supreme Court (awarded a total of £102 10s)

In 1886 he was awarded a contract for the construction of a branch railway from main Ipswich line to the bottom of the ridge in which the first tunnel of the Bundamba Clay and Coal Company mine is situated. The line was finished and operational in February 1887

In mid 1887 he had a large picnic and sports day near Harrisville on the Fassifern branch of the raiway to complete the Dugandan section of the line

In September 1887 he purchase the Pietzcker buildings for £100 at an auction sale with the intention of using them as offices for the Nerang Link project

In November 1887 he engaged AJJ Warby to sell 20 Extra Heavy Draught Horses, 8 Tip Drays 2 Wimber Waggons and 20 Sets of Harness (there is a note that they are "being disposed of in consequence of the earth and bridge works being completed in connection with the Southport Railway")

Throughout the 187