unknown Launceston Tasmania Australia Rowena Victoria Rowe Winifred Victoria, Elvie Heywood, Nina Frances & Rita Phyllis

George Cragg was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1865 where his family was residing briefly. His father, John Samuel Cragg, originally from Basford, Nottinghamshire, had emigrated to Port Phillip on the ship Duchess of Northumberland in 1849 as an assisted migrant. He married Cornish-born Frances Hockin in 1850 at the Wesleyan Methodist church in Melbourne. George was the sixth of their eight children, of whom only three reached adulthood.

George was educated at schools in Victoria before entering employment with a shipping company. He remained there for several years before joining the firm of Messrs Clough and Co., woolbrokers, which subsequently merged into the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company with a branch in Launceston. In 1900-1901 George was master warden of the Launceston Marine Board. He was also the manager of the Tasmanian Woolgrowers' Association.

George took an active interest in the Chamber of Commerce and was a member of the Lodge of Hope TC. He also took part in athletics and aquatics and was a member of the 1891-92 Exhibition Choir as a tenor. He was also a member of 'The Muffs' amateur dramatic club which was formed in Sep 1889 to raise funds for charitable causes.

George Cragg married Rowena Victoria Rowe in South Australia in 1893. Their four daughters were born in Launceston: Winifred Victoria, 1894-1976; Elvie Heywood, 1896-1928; Nina Frances, 1901-1980 and Rita Phyllis (Sue), 1906-1987.

George died of a heart attack at the age of 70 on 18 Oct 1834 at Granton while travelling back to Launceston after attending the Royal Hobart Show in his capacity as manager of the Tasmanian Woolgrowers’ Association. He was buried at Carr Villa with his daughter Elvie, who had died unmarried in 1928, aged 31 years. His wife Rowena died on 14 Nov 1949 aged 81. The Cragg family lived at 'Pontefore', 2 Adelaide Street, Launceston. On 11 Apr 1903 The Weekly Courier published photographs of the house, the croquet ground and a croquet match being played.

Angela Prosser Green Jun 2006