Family background
George Williams was born at Sydney in 1818, son of John W Williams and Sarah R Williams. Unmarried, he died at Belmore Cottage, Ross Street, Forest Lodge on 29 October 1879, aged 61 years and was buried at Balmain Cemetery.
Occupation & interests
On his election, George Williams was described as a general dealer in Ross Street Forest Lodge. Trade entries in directories do not necessarily indicate conventional shops, but from 1880 lock-up shops appear providing specialised retail services.
Community activity
Williams was a member of Council’s lighting committee, and often referred matters to the Improvement Committee to report upon the expediency and cost of forming and ballasting Glebe’s streets and kerbing and guttering them.
Local government service
George Williams was an alderman on Glebe Council in 1871-77. He was one of the first three men to represent the new Forest Lodge ward in 1871, a precinct which felt it had been neglected by those with the loudest say on council. Its representatives urged its roads, impassable in wet weather, be upgraded, the poor and irregular water supply improved, and the need for the number of omnibus taking its residents to work boosted. By 1878 when St Johns Road was ballasted, and a site for a new town hall in Forest Lodge acquired, local residents felt finally Council had listened to their concerns.
References
Sydney Morning Herald, 10 February 1871, p. 1
Sydney Morning Herald, 11 March 1871, p. 7
Sydney Morning Herald, 10 July 1874, p. 3
Sydney Morning Herald, 6 August 1875, p. 8
Sydney Morning Herald, 23 January 1877, p. 6
Sydney Morning Herald, 30 October 1879