Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George was the son of George Jacob MATTHEWS & Mary LESTER nee MURPHY and was born on the 5th of January 1877 in Mt Gambier, SA.

His parents were married on the 27th of April 1876 in the Wesleyan Parsonage, Mt Gambier, SA.

His father was the son of Charles William & Elizabeth MATTHEWS and was born in 1830 in Cornwall, England.
His mother was the daughter of George & Ellen MURPHY and was born in 1842 in New South Wales.

George was the eldest child born into the family of 2 children.

His mother had previously married John Smith LESTER in 1861 in Victoria.
They had 4 children before John died on the 28th of April 1869 in Penola. He had been engaged in fencing for Mr Riddoch and after not returning for tea; Mary went looking for him and found him dead near Monbulla Station.
Mary was 8 and a half months pregnant at the time and gave birth to their 5th child 2 weeks later.

Mary received rations from the Destitute Board but they were removed in September 1873 and she was unable to care for these children and on the 30th of March 1874 she admitted them into the care of the State Department.

As a young lad George gained employment with Mr John A Walker of Mount McIntyre, near Millicent.

In August 1893, aged just 16 years, George was convicted of stealing five sheep skins from Joseph WARR, a butcher in Millicent and sentenced to 1 month in the Mt Gambier Gaol.
George claimed that times were so bad and he just wanted some clothes, so he stole the skins and sold them.

George then appears to become friendly with a young larrikin in Millicent, Samuel Redden and then life takes a dramatic turn for the worst for George.

On the 29th of November 1894 George and his mate, Samuel Reddan were charged in the Millicent Police Court with assaulting and robbing Ah Chin, a Chinese gardener on Monday the 26th of November.
They had gone to Mr Chin’s home to purchase tomato seeds and after they had received them, George grabbed Mr Chin by the throat and Samuel robbed him.
George confessed to having knocked Mr Chin down and they were remanded in gaol and committed for trial in the Mt Gambier Court.

On the 12th of February 1895 George and Samuel escaped from the Mt Gambier Gaol. They had been seen that afternoon in the prison yard with the other prisoners.
One of the prisoners then asked the warden if he had taken George and Samuel out of the yard, which he hadn’t so a search for the escapee’s began.
The warden then saw a great many tracks inside one portion of the wall of the gaol, and believed, from what he saw, that it was the spot where they scaled the wall, with assistance of other prisoners.
It was the south-west corner of the wall, near the closet, where the warden saw the traces and there were two 6 feet forms in the kitchen, and he believed they escaped with the help of those forms.

Mounted constable, John O'Brien, from Millicent, went in search George and Samuel and arrested George at Sandy Waterholes, 18 or 20 miles from Mt Gambier.
George told him they had got over the gaol wall and went upon the hill by the "Valley Lake and then separated.

On the 24th of April 1895 George was sentenced to 2 years hard labour and whipping of 10 lashes for the attempted robbery and escaping from gaol.
A large petition was subsequently prepared in the South-east regarding George’s 10 lashes and presented to the Lieutenant Governor asking for clemency on behalf of George and his Excellency decided to remit the lashes.

George was release from gaol after serving his sentence on the 26th of September 1896 and after his release he appears to have turned his life around.

At the age of 23, George enlisted into the 3rd South Australian Bushmen’s Contingent in January 1900 and allotted the Regimental Number 52.
He embarked in the transport Maplemore, which steamed from Port Adelaide on the 27th of February 1900, disembarking in Beira on the 1st of April.

George became dangerously ill with pneumonia at Mafeking and was admitted into the Kimberley Military Hospital in December 1900.
He was then invalided back to Australia, disembarking on the 28th of February 1901.

George married Lillian Mary Maud MILLER on the 10th of February 1902 in the Registry Office, Adelaide.
Lillian was the daughter of Charles Archibald MILLER & Sarah Jane MARTIN and was born on the 28th of March 1884 in Hindmarsh, SA. Lillian was two months pregnant when they married and they moved to Mt Gambier just after they married.

Whilst on sick leave, in Mt Gambier on the 13th of March 1902 George was fined £5, for assaulting John Phillips, and £3 10., for using indecent language in Commercial Street.
He and his half brother, Oliver Lester, were very drunk that morning and insulted the people they met in the street. Oliver was fined £2 and costs or a month in goal for riotous behaviour in the street at the same time.

They welcomed their first child; Thelma Lillian, on the 2nd of September 1902.
By the following year they had moved to Bacon Street, Hindmarsh and George gained employment as a builder’s labourer.

They welcomed their second child; Doreen Gladys Violet, on the 17th of August 1903.

Marjorie Miller was then born on the 24th of July 1905, followed by Charles Archibald on the 26th of July 1907.
Their last child; Jack, was born on the 28th of September 1909.

At the age of 37, George enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 19th of August 1914 in Morphettville and was allotted the service number 164 and posted to the newly formed 3rd Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron at Morphettville Camp.

He embarked on board SS Port Lincoln, on the 22nd of October 1914, disembarking in Alexandria on the 9th of December.

George suffered from Gastritis & Pyorrhoea and was admitted into the 1st Australian General Hospital on the 16th of February 1915.
Due to his age and his condition it was recommended that he be invalided back to Australia.

George embarked from Suez on the 22nd of March 1915 on board HT Ulysses, disembarking in Melbourne on the 15th of April and entrained to Adelaide the following day.
He was then admitted into the 7th Australian General Hospital in Keswick on the 22nd of April and discharged from hospital over two months later, on the 7th of July.

George was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 7th of July 1915 and awarded the British War and Victory Medals.

He was granted a pension of £13 per annum for each of his 5 children and Lillian for 6 months.

Lillian died on the 2nd of May 1952 in the Royal Adelaide Hospital and George buried her in the Cheltenham Cemetery; Section M, Drive C, Path 2, Plot 57S.

George died on the 8th of September 1958 and was buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery with his wife; Section M, Drive C, Path 2, Plot 57S.

Military

Boer War

At the age of 23, George enlisted into the 3rd South Australian Bushmen’s Contingent in January 1900 and allotted the Regimental Number 52.
He was listed as GC MATTHEWS, 23, Mount Gambier, single; 4 years station life, good rider, fair shot.
But on the nominal roll he is recorded as Charles MATTHEWS.

He embarked in the transport Maplemore, which steamed from Port Adelaide on the 27th of February, 1900 and called at Fremantle to pick up the Western Australian Bushmen.

On the 7th of March 1900 the Mt. Gambier Bushmen's Committee sent a telegram to Captain Hubbe:-
"Kindly convey to Gambier boys hearty good wishes. Wish them and yourself and other members of contingent God speed and a safe return."
“There are eleven South-Easterners with the contingent, - Thomas Patrick LYONS Mount Gambier 28 years single, James Arthur VALPIED Mount Gambier 26 years single, James Henry VIRGO Mount Gambier 23 years single, Charles MATTHEWS Mount Gambier 23 years single, Eugene Albert WICKENS Mount Gambier 27 years single, Thomas SKENE Mount Gambier 23 years single, James Francis MACLACHLAN Lucindale 27 years single, Sergeant James RUNDLE Millicent 28 years married, Lance-Corporal Elwyn Henry ATTIWILL Beachport 25 years single, Walter JOHNSTON Mount Gambier 20 years single, MLTWCC SWAN Nangwarry single”.

They disembarked at Beira on the 1st of April and participated in operations in Western Transvaal from June 1900 to April 1901. They formed part of General Carrington's force, which crossed Rhodesia and entered the Transvaal from about Mafeking.

Between the 4th of July and the 9th of August, the squadron was patrolling the Marico and working towards Eland's River district and on the 9th, they retired to Mafeking with General Carrington.

Four days later they were in a skirmish and the next day in a fight at Buffel's Hoek. On the 15th, the squadron was made part of a composite regiment of Bushmen with " D" Squadron New South Wales 1st Mounted Rifles, Captain Poison's squadron 5th New Zealanders, and the 3rd Tasmanians.
For a long time the Regiment did excellent work in the Western Transvaal, as part of Lord Methuen's division. At Buffel's Hoek there was fighting and they sustained casualties and then for the second time they were in action at Ottoshoop on the 12th of September, when Captain Samuel. G. Hubbe was killed.

Throughout the latter part of 1900 the composite regiment was in many engagements, chiefly in the Western Transvaal, and also north of the Orange River Colony; and losses were frequent, the enemy being alert and ably led.

George became dangerously ill with pneumonia at Mafeking and was admitted into the Kimberley Military Hospital in December 1900.

He was then invalided back to Australia, disembarking on the 28th of February 1901.

WW1

At the age of 37, George enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 19th of August 1914 in Morphettville and was allotted the service number 164 and posted to the newly formed 3rd Light Horse Regiment, A Squadron at Morphettville Camp.
He listed his wife, Lillian, of Bacon Street, Hindmarsh, as his next of kin.

They trained at Morphettville Camp until the 21st of October when they marched out for Outer Harbour at 2.30pm.
At 10am the following day 19 officers, 347 men and 338 horses embarked on board SS Port Lincoln, arriving in Albany at 11pm on the 26th.

On the 1st of November they sailed as part of a convoy of 26 Australian transport ships and 10 New Zealand transport ships. They were escorted by HMA Minatour, HMAS Sydney and HMAS Melbourne.
After two weeks at sea they arrived at Colombo on the 15th of November and after re coaling, they sailed again, two days later at 11am on the 17th.
By the 25th they had reached Aden where they anchored for the night and resumed their voyage the following morning.

When they were in the Red Sea three days later they received orders that they would complete their training in Cairo. They also received their first inoculation for Typhoid this day.
On the 1st of December they arrived at Suez and the following day the sailed for Port Said, arriving there at 7am on the 3rd.
They then left Port Said on the 5th at 7pm and arrived in Alexandria the following morning at 10am.

After two days anchored in the harbour they drew alongside the wharf at 4pm on the 8th and began their disembarkation the following morning at 7am.
They were then entrained to Cairo and after an eight mile march they arrived at Ma’adi Camp on the 10th.

They spent Christmas 1914 here before relocating to Heliopolis Camp on the 31st of December, to be closer to the rest of the Division.
Whilst they were here George suffered from Gastritis & Pyorrhoea and was admitted into the 1st Australian General Hospital on the 16th of February.

Due to his age and his condition it was recommended that he be invalided back to Australia.

George embarked from Suez on the 22nd of March 1915 on board HT Ulysses, disembarking in Melbourne on the 15th of April and entrained to Adelaide the following day.
He was then admitted into the 7th Australian General Hospital in Keswick on the 22nd of April and discharged from hospital over two months later, on the 7th of July.

George was discharged from the AIF, medically unfit, on the 7th of July 1915 and awarded the British War and Victory Medals.

Pension of £13 per annum 08.07.1915 for each of his 5 children
Pension of £13 per annum 08.07.15 for Lillian
Pension cancelled 08.01.1916

Invalided to Australia, arrived 28 February 1901. Enlisted AIF 19 August 1914, an original member of A Squadron 3rd Light Horse Regiment, discharged Adelaide medically unfit 7 July 1916.