Family background
Robert George Irvine was born at Kiama in 1856. He went to the Araluen gold diggings with his parents in 1858 where he lived for 10 years before coming to Sydney where he learned bootmaking with Edmund Ellison, Botany Street, Waterloo. He married Henrietta Halting in 1877 and they had three children by 1888, of which two were at Macdonaldtown Public School. He invested in property in a large way, and built his home at Lambert Street.Irvine died at his residence, 8 Hampden Street, Hurlstone Park on 25 May 1929. He was buried in the Anglican cemetery, Rookwood.
Community activity
Robert George Irvine was a supporter of Protection. He was secretary of a protection association for bootmakers and saddlers in 1886.
Local government service
Robert G Irvine was an alderman on Macdonaldtown (Erskineville) Council in 1888-91.
References
‘Proposed Amalgamation of Boroughs’, Sydney Morning Herald, 13 July 1883, p. 3, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13539030
‘Where are the Protectionists?’, Australian Star, 21 May 1889 p. 3, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/227309113
‘Meetings’, Globe, 13 Feb 1886, p. 1, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/102558436
Morrison, W. Frederic 1888, The Aldine centennial history of New South Wales illustrated, The Aldine Publishing Company, Sydney.