George Henry Johnson (1870 - 1953)

Ancestors Descendants

Biography

George was born in 1870.^[1] He is the son of John Johnson and Lavinia Roberts. He passed away in 1953.^[2] He is buried in the Atherton Cemetery, Queensland.^[3]

Details of George's early life are reflected in the following except of one of his obituaries.

The passing of Mr. George Johnson, of Peeramon, recently, has removed one of the last of the Richmond River cedar getters, at the age of 83 years. Like the late James English, he had assisted his father in rafting cedar on the Richmond River when that was the principal industry there. In his young days, he travelled extensively with Ashton's Circus all over Australia and up to the time of his passing George never missed a circus and always met some acquaintance or old crony there.^[4]

George and Minnie Wedding

On 16 Jan 1900, George Henry Johnson, a farmer from Goonellabah near Lismore, married Minnie May Wright a domestic from the same area at the house of Mr. Charles McCann in Lismore. Witnesses to the marriage were Charles John McCann and Jane Johnson.^[5][6]

George and Minnie raised ten children.

1. Henry Johnson (abt.1899-1974)
2. John Robert Johnson (abt.1902-1981)
3. Henry Thomas Johnson (1904-1981)
4. Herbert Johnson (1905-1905)
5. Emily Lavinia (Johnson) Cupitt (1907-1996)
6. George Walter Johnson (1909-1994)
7. Esther Agnes (Johnson) Dowse (1912-1983)
8. Elsie May (Johnson) Trevenen (1915-1978)
9. Harold Douglas Johnson (1918-1996)
10. Dorothy Mary (Johnson) Begg (1920-2005)

Henry Thomas Johnson was not George and Minnie's natural child. His mother Agnes and his grandmother Emma both died in 1904. He was raised by George and Minnie as one of the family.

When the Tableland was opened up 45 years ago he migrated north and took up a selection at Peeramon. By dint of hard work, he developed it and resided there until recently, when he went to live in Yungaburra. ... He was an accomplished bushman and a great axeman. ... He was a past master at the art of bullock driving and hauled a lot of timber in two states. His property adjoins the wolfram reserve at Peeramon and more than once he tried his hand a gouging wolfram.^[4]

By the early 1900's George and Minnie are farmers at Peeramon in North Queensland. Peeramon appeared under that name in 1910 after the name was assigned by the Queensland Railway's Department.^[7] Peeramon is situated generally between Atherton and Gordonvale on the Atherton Tablelands. Their arrival in Peeramon must have been at the early establishment of the town. They were involved in clearing their land, 'Green Hill', which was close to town, for farming in 1913.^[8] He had mixed farming interests in cattle and sugar cane.^[9]

In the 1930's George showed an interest in mining.

Ernest Richard Jordan and George Henry Johnson have applied for ground 400 feet by 350 feet, situated in the parish of Malanda, 1 1/2 miles east of Peeramon. To be held as a lode wolfram claim under the name 'Queen of Hearts.'^[10]

George Henry Johnson and Minnie May

George predeceased his wife Minnie in 1953 passing away as a result of pneumonia preceded by a heart attack.^[11] His funeral notice appeared in the following terms.

The relatives and friends of Mrs M. M. Johnson, Yungaburra; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Johnson and daughter, Yungaburra; Mr. John Johnson, Yugaburra; Mr. and Mrs. T. Johnson and family, Peeramon; Mr. and Mrs. J. Cupitt and family, Cape York; Mr. and Mrs. F. Dowse and family, Butcher Creek; Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Johnson and family, White Rock; Mr. and Mrs. J. Trevenen, Atherton; Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Johnson and family, Danbulla; Mr. and Mrs. J. Meaney and family, Peeramon; Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Johnson and family, Yungaburra; are respectfully invited to attend the funeral of their late beloved, husband, father and grandfather GEORGE HENRY JOHNSON, respectively, which will move from St., Mary's Church of England, Alice Street, Atherton, at 2 o'clock THIS (FRIDAY) AFTERNOON en route for the Atherton Cemetery.
H. J. GUILFOYLE
Funeral Director
Atherton^[12][13]

OBITUARY
GEORGE HENRY JOHNSON. The death occurred in the Atherton hospital about midday yesterday of Mr. George Henry Johnson, aged 83. The late Mr. Johnson went to the Atherton Tableland about 48 years ago from the Northern Rivers in N.S.W. He took up a selection, worked as a bullock driver and then entered farming. He retired two years ago and had lived in Yungaburra. He is survived by his widow and 10 children - six sons and four daughters. The funeral will move from the Atherton Church of England at 2 o'clock this afternoon for the Atherton cemetery.^[14]

One further obituaries provids additional insights into George Henry's life, with a focus on his pioneering exploits.

OBITUARY
The death occurred last Wednesday in the Atherton Hospital of Mr. G. H. Johnson, another of the District's pioneers. Way back in 1908 when Cairns was just a series of mud-flats and Malanda and Peeramon a dense jungle, Mr. & Mrs. Johnson arrived to carve a living out of the almost impenetrable scrub. Mr. Johnson assisted Harry Williams to kill the first cow for butchers beef in Yungaburra, also helped Jim English to cut the track from Peeramon to Kureen and Malanda, and the Campbells & Bardons to clear their land. He was a good sportsman in his day and an axeman -- cutting cordwood for the factory boilers. At the time of his death, aged 93, he was living with his wife. He is survived by five sons and four daughters.^[15]

Research Notes

Possible first wife of George Henry Johnson and mother of Henry Johnson NSWBDM Marriage 6940/1889 JOHNSON, GEORGE LEA CATHERINE M LISMORE.

Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Johnson listed on funeral notice not in children listing.

William George Johnson, in family history sheets compiled by Lexie Johnson born 1903 Ballina NSW, died 19 Apr 1903, buried Wollongbar NSW.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Register of Births Deaths and Marriages - Birth. JOHNSON GEORGE H 1870. Son of JOHN and LAVINIA. District: RICHMOND RIVER. Registration number: 16539/1870
2. ↑ Queensland Register of Births Deaths and Marriages - Death. George Henry Johnson 16/07/1953. Son of Lavinia Roberts and Jack. https://www.familyhistory.bdm.qld.gov.au/details/1d3a6c5c79508852b3d71bf3ac79aab733a0f808a0319586fc823ec126f2fe4c. Registration details: 1953/C/3215.
3. ↑ Unclassified: "Australia Cemetery Index, 1808-2007"
   Compiler: Cairns and District Family History Society Inc; Collection Title: Atherton Cemetery Monumental Inscriptions
   Ancestry Sharing Link Ancestry au Record 1266 #214255 (accessed 15 December 2021)
   Name: George Henry Johnson; Death Age: 83; Birth Date: abt 1870; Death Date: 16 Jul 1953; Cemetery: Atherton Cemetery; Cemetery Location: Atherton, Queensland.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Excerpts from a clipping provided by Lexie Johnson to Pat McCallum on 6 Apr 2022.]]
5. ↑ Certificate of Marriage from the collection of Lexie Johnson provided to Pat McCallum on 6 Apr 2022.
6. ↑ New South Wales Register of Births Deaths and Marriages - Marriage. JOHNSON, GEORGE H to WRIGHT, MINNIE M 1900. District: LISMORE. Registration Number: 1477/1900.
7. ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Peeramon," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Peeramon&oldid=1002661643 (accessed December 15, 2021).
8. ↑ The Northern Herald, Fri 16 May 1913. p. 48.
9. ↑ [https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/40161327 Cairns Post, Thu 22 Jun 1922. p. 4. Cane From Peeramon.]
10. ↑ The Northern Herald, Sat 9 Oct 1937. p. 28. MINING.
11. ↑ Information provided by Lexie Johnson to Pat McCallum.
12. ↑ Clipping in the collection of Lexie Johnson provided to Pat McCallum on 6 Apr 2002.
13. ↑ Cairns Post , Fri 17 Jul 1953. p. 5. Advertising .
14. ↑ Cairns Post, Fri 17 Jul 1953. p. 5. OBITUARY.
15. ↑ Obituary provided by Lexie Johnson to Pat McCallum on 6 Apr 2022.