George White was born in 1886 in Stockport, Cheshire, the son of George White and Clara Thornicroft. He lived the early part of his life in and around Stockport and played soccer (as a goalkeeper), for Park Albion. George was apprenticed to William Henry Eva in 1902 as Joiner. In 1908 after completing his apprenticeship he was employed as a Journeyman Joiner. He married Mary Louisa Singleton in Stockport in 1911, and in 1912 he applied to the Victorian Land Settlement and Emigration Department in London to migrate to Australia through an assisted passage scheme for artisans. On 29 February 1912 he departed alone on the Aberdeen Line ship TSS Gothic arriving in Fremantle on 10 April, 1912. On the ship's manifest he was listed as a carpenter. According to an entry in the Argus dated Wednesday 17 April 1912, the Gothic arrived in Melbourne on 16 April 1912, but could not dock because it had arrived at 8.30pm and could not obtain a quarantine clearance until the next day. It then docked at Berth No.4 at Victoria Dock.

In May 1913 Mary arrived in Victoria, accompanied by their daughter Norah, on board the ship the 'Irishmen'. On arrival in Victoria the family took up residence at 52 Regent St Elsternwick, where their son George Harold was born. Little is known about the family at this time - they moved to Sydney sometime between 1914 and 1917 and took up residence in Bexley. George then took up employment as a Steam Tram Driver and they were to have five children, three boys and two girls. As far as the family is aware, George and Mary never returned to England, but did remain in contact with their respective families. George died on 23 January 1977 in Bexley, NSW and was buried at Woronora Cemetery, in NSW. Mary White died on 1 June 1979 and was buried next to George.

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