George Telfer

Role: Youngest child of Francis Telfer and Margaret Wright — the one who went west

Born: 22 November 1850 — Macoota, Kersbrook, South Australia
Died: 1913 — Nungarin, Western Australia
Occupation: Farmer, grocer, butter maker, steam laundry proprietor
Spouse: Ruth Penna (m. 17 Sept 1884, d. 1908)

Family

Family Stories

The Youngest Son

George Wright was the baby of the family — born at Macoota, Kersbrook on 22nd November 1850, the youngest son of Francis and Margaret. He grew up working his father's farm alongside brother John, learning the market gardening trade from the ground up. When he was old enough, he bought land of his own in the Kersbrook area and built himself a home. He wasn't one to stay in someone else's shadow. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

The Grocer Who Went the Distance

Long before road trains and highways, George ran a grocery van all the way to Port Augusta. That's a hell of a trip from Kersbrook — hundreds of miles of rough track, dirt roads, and outback settlements. He'd load up his van with supplies and make the journey north, peddling his goods to the scattered communities along the way. It was the kind of work that built character, or at least a strong back. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

The Land Speculator

George had an eye for a deal. He wasn't content with just farming — he bought and sold land like a man who could see which way the wind was blowing. He picked up blocks at Kensington that had once belonged to his mother, took out a mining lease at Kadina, and bought several sections at Hawker which he later sold to his brother John. He was always looking for the next opportunity, never one to sit still. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

Ruth Penna of Kersbrook

On 17th September 1884, at the age of 33, George married Ruth Penna. She was 21, the daughter of William and Ruth Penna, also market gardeners from Kersbrook. The wedding was in her parents' home, solemnized by the Rev. John Hall, Presbyterian minister. Ruth must have known what she was signing up for — life with George was never going to be quiet. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

The Salem Baptist Years

In December 1885, George and Ruth were welcomed into the fellowship of Salem Baptist Church at Gumeracha. George wasn't just a pew-warmer either — he was soon elected secretary of the church. This was the same faith that ran through the whole Telfer family, that same Baptist thread that had followed them from Scotland through Kersbrook and beyond. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

Three Children, Two Continents

While they were at Kersbrook, Ruth gave George three children: William Francis in August 1885, Olive Millie in March 1890, and Lesley Thomas in 1892. Little Olive only lived about two months — she was buried in the Gawler Cemetery on 5th May 1890, her parents' address listed as Mount Pleasant. It was a hard loss, the kind that marked a family. But life pushed on, and George kept moving. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

Father Francis Comes to Stay

After Margaret Wright died in 1892, old Francis came to live with George and Ruth. He was getting on by then, his health fading. In 1893 they all packed up and moved to Willaston, near Gawler, where George turned his hand to running a butter factory. It was a complete change from market gardening — but that was George, always ready to try something new. A year later, in June 1894, Ruth gave birth to another daughter, Olive Netta. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

The Westward Gamble

Some time in 1896, George made the biggest decision of his life. He packed up Ruth, the children, and the remnants of the household and moved the whole family to Western Australia. They lived in Albany for a few years first, then moved to Perth where they ran a boarding house overlooking the Swan River. From market gardener to butter maker to boarding house proprietor — George wasn't afraid to reinvent himself. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

The City Steam Laundry

From boarding house to laundry — George established the City Steam Laundry in Leederville, and by 1901 he was listed as manager. By 1902-03 it was "Telfer & Penna, proprietors," with his brother-in-law Thomas Penna as partner. Their ads boasted "Special quotations for Hotels" and a telephone number — number 464, which was something in those days. In 1908 they opened a branch on Hay Street in Perth, and the name changed to City Steam Laundry & Dye Works. The place was still operating as the Monarch Laundry as late as 1981, long after George was gone. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180)

The Loss of Ruth

1908 was a hard year. Ruth died, leaving George with three children to raise and a business to run. The laundry was split — son Frank took over Telfer's City Steam Laundry with two Hay Street branches, while George kept Telfer's Cleaning & Dye Works at Newcastle Street, Leederville. He pushed on, but something must have gone out of him with Ruth. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.180-181)

The Merredin Years

Around 1912, George sold the laundry business and moved east along the railway line to Merredin. He opened a store there and bought a farming property at nearby Nungarin. He and his sons ran both for a year or so — a final attempt to build something in this new country. But George died in 1913, not long after they'd settled. The following year his younger son Lesley Thomas was killed in an accident on the same farm. Within two years, George and both his sons were gone from the land he'd tried so hard to work. (From the Borders to the Bush, p.181)

Life Story

George Wright Telfer was the youngest child of Francis Telfer (1809–1895) and his third wife, Margaret Wright. He was born at Macoota, Kersbrook on 22nd November 1850.

He spent his early years working his father's farm at Kersbrook, then bought land of his own and built a home. He ran a grocery van to Port Augusta, speculated in land across Kensington, Kadina, and Hawker, and married Ruth Penna in 1884.

After his mother's death in 1892, his father Francis came to live with them, and in 1893 the family moved to Willaston where George ran a butter factory. In 1896 he moved the entire family to Western Australia — first Albany, then Perth, where he ran a boarding house before establishing the City Steam Laundry in Leederville.

After Ruth's death in 1908, George carried on the business, then sold up around 1912 and moved to Merredin where he opened a store and bought a farm at Nungarin. He died in 1913. His son Lesley was killed in an accident the following year.

Source: From the Borders to the Bush — pages 30, 180-181