Obituaries Australia

George Lethbridge, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 June 1917

Mr. George Langworthy Lethbridge died in Singleton, N.S.W., on 15th May. The deceased, who was a single man, was within three weeks of his ninetieth birthday at time of death, and with his demise there disappears a familiar figure in the life and history of Singleton and district. No one was more widely known and highly respected.

The late Mr. Lethbridge was born at Parramatta in 1827, and was educated at the King's School, finishing his studies at Mount Radford College, Exeter, England. He returned from England in 1845 to New South Wales, and went to his father's estate, Bridgman, near Singleton, and after a brief stay there, left to manage his father's cattle station, Currangandi, Horton River, near Barraba, where he resided for thirty years. On 14th February, 1854, he started on an exploring expedition, accompanied by Mr. Kelman, of Kirkton, Mr. William Carter, of Goorangoola, and two aborigines—Jimmy Ogilvie, of Hunter River, and Dick, of Clarence River. They went as far as Peake Range, being the third party out after Leichhardt, the great explorer. The second party—Hedley Mitchell's— was killed by blacks, and Mr. Lethbridge's party got Mitchell's horses, and brought them in. They returned about 14th August, having been out six months from day of starting. A lot of country was taken up on the head of Palm Tree Creek, a tributary of the Dawson, with more country on the Dawson and Mackenzie Rivers; while on the eastern side of the Peake Range a beautiful bit of Downs country, with plenty of water, fell to the lot of Mr. Lethbridge, and to this day is called Lethbridge's Pocket. Eventually Currangandi was sold, and Mr. Lethbridge returned to Bridgman, where he lived for over forty years.

Until within the last few months he took the greatest interest in public matters, and always was prepared to use his pen in the defence of what he deemed to be right and just. In effect it may be said that he was respected for his unfaltering support to all measures that had for their object the advancement of the district and the country, for his strict probity, and his sympathy and broadmindedness where misfortune or distress was concerned.