George Pirie

Story

George Robertson Pirie was born in Aberdeen, Scotland on 6th February 1907. His family was poor. His father was killed on the Menin Road near Ypres, in France in the first few weeks of the first World War. George was seven at the time of his fathers death. At the age of eight he left school and worked with his brother Bill, aged 10 on a bakers run. The two boys stole apples and turnips in order to survive. They had no financial help from family. When he was older he worked in service for a wealthy family and then as a motor mechanic at Bon-Accord Motors in Aberdeen as well as a driver for a Mrs Macqueen, who gave him a Bible to bring to Australia. He treasured this Bible. Money was very tight and it was decided that one of the boys would come to Australia and one would stay with their mother. The decision was made with a toss of a coin and George won or lost depending how you look at it! His mother put him on the train at Aberdeen to go to Liverpool saying ” Please make a go of it as I will never have the money to bring you home”. It was only after our father died that we found out that he had paid all his mothers rent in Scotland form 1927 until she died in 1943.

He came to Australia under the Little Brother Scheme, leaving Liverpool on the Themistocles. He was sea sick all the way. He arrived in Melbourne on 11th September 1927. He was put on to a train to Woorndoo, Salt Creek, Mortlake, Victoria. The property is still in the same family, but their records only go back to the 1940’s. He worked 80 hours a week for one pound and his keep, until he paid back his passage to Immigration in Melbourne.

George had come from a cold country and he really felt the heat here. He was also very thin from the trip. After he paid back his passage he went to work for the Governer General, Lord Stonehaven and Major Nichol at Admiralty House in Sydney and Government House in Melbourne and Canberra. He was a servant and Valet. When Lord Stonehaven returned to England he wanted to take our father with him, but George said no thank you. He continued to work in service in Melbourne until he obtained a position with Sir Keith Murcoch as his driver. This is where he met our mother, Olive Louisa Barry, who was the childrens’ maid at Cruden Farm. Both my parents remained in contact with the Murdochs.

George joined the Airforce during the war and worked as ground crew, maintenance of aircraft. He married our mother in 1941 and had two children Ian Pirie and Anne McKernan. After the war he bought a taxi and he and joined Gem taxis in Melbourne. He had a stroke in 1967, aged 60, which forced his retirement. He died in 1973 aged 65. He had had a hard life but always worked hard to better himself and help to support his mother and our family.

I have all my fathers references for the above positions and his war service records. My most treasured documents are the receipts from his having paid back his passage to Immigration and the Bible that he treasured so much.

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