Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Discharged from Service on 08 Feb 1920

"Obituary. MR. GEORGE AUCHTERLONIE

Despite the general knowledge that he had been in very indifferent health for a long time, the wide circle of friends of Mr. George Auchterlonle, of Driffield, were shocked to learn that he had peacefully passed away in his sleep in the early hours of Sunday morning last. The late Mr. Auchterlonle was born at Narracan sixty-two years ago, and educated at the Narracan State School. The whole of his early life, prior to enlistnment during World War 1, was spent in that district, where he played a full part in the public and sporting life of the community. In addition to being a marksman of note, he was secretary of the Narracan Rifle Club, taking over the position of captain after return from abroad. He also held the office of secretary of the Narracan East Mechanics' Institute.

In 1915 he enlisted in the 8th Light Horse, and saw service with his regiment in the epic campaign with General Allenby in Palestine through to the capitulation of the Turkish Army. Prior to returning to Australia in 1920 he took a year's course in agriculture at a farm in Scotland. Returning again to civilian life, he devoted his attention, in association with his brothers, to the care and manage- ment of the family's properties at Narracan and Driffield, eventually identifying himself more closely with the Driffield property when he built a home thereon and married Miss Claire White, of Narracan, in 1927. The house block, known as Flegg's, which had been acquired previously, was as this stage in a dirty condition, and it was to its transformation to one of the show farms of the district that the deceased devoted his main endeavours for the next few years. Under his care and management the whole of the Driffield properties were put on an extremely high productive level, producing beef and wool of a quality that has made its mark on the Melbourne market. Following his marriage and in response to a widespread requisition of ratepayers, he was elected to the Shire Council in 1928, and held his seat continuously until 1944 when he retired on medical advice. During that period he held the office of shire president in 1934 and 1942, on one of which occasions he had the honour of entertaining the Duke of Gloucester. In the Council his wide experience of the problems of the Shire and his mature judgment were assets that benefitted equally the local governing body and the ratepayers as a whole. The late Mr. Auchterlonie was always extremely interested in politics, and was actively associated with the Country Party after his return from abroad. He was a member of the Central Council of the Party and, following his efforts for the establishment of the Yinnar Branch, subsequently held at varying times every branch office, except that of secretary. At the time of his death he was the branch's delegate to Conference. He was strongly pressed at one stage to allow himself to be nominated in the C.P. interest for Gippsland North electorate, but was reluctantly forced to decline for health reasons. Despite all his preoccupations in other fields, he probably gave of his best in the community affairs of his own small community of Driffield, where he was ever ready to shoulder the major burdens in the work for the well-being of the residents. In this regard he was actively associated with the work of the School Committee of Driffield School, and one of the organisers, later president and captain of the Driffield Bush Fire Brigade. It is of interest to recall that he was a heavy loser of sheep destroyed in a fire, which swept through his property in 1945. Of the many Morwell activities with which he had been concerned during his term as a councillor, his personal interest in the welfare of the Shire of Morwell Hospital influenced him to still retain his association with its affairs after retiring from the Council. At the formation of the Morwell and District Landowners' Protection Association, he was unanimously elected its first president, a position he retained to his death. He is survived by a widow and four children, Robin, Glen, Frances and George, who are left to mourn a devoted husband and a loving father. Of his own family, Walter and Marian (Mrs. Savige) pre-deceased him, leaving Grace, James and Robert. Following a service at his home on Tuesday, conducted by the Rev. E. A. Hinson, the funeral cortege, accompanied by some sixty cars, left for the place of interment at the Narracan Cemetery, there to be considerably reinforced by a large number of residents of that district. Following the service at the graveside, at which Rev. Hinson offitciated, the Soldier's Burial Ritual was carried out, with returned men grouped around the grave, by the president of the Morwell sub-branch. Mr. J. E. Gibson. In his occasional address, Mr. Gibson referred to the war record of the deceased, and his later civilian life modelled on the principles of justice and freedom, for which he had fought. After the ritual, returned men filed past the grave and dropped poppies on the casket." - from the Morwell Advertiser 17 Nov 1949 (nla.gov.au)