The surname is spelled "Edmonstone" in the Brisbane City Council Archives, spelled "Edmundston" on his father"s marriage banns, spelled "Edmondston" on his baptismal certificate and Edmondstone on his father"s Testament). George Edmondstone was born on 4 May 1809 in Edinburgh, Scotland, the son of William Edmondstone, a naval commissary, and Alexandrina (Alixa) Farquharson daughter of a watchmaker.
FUNERAL NOTICE. -- The Friends of
Mr. GEORGE EDMONDSTONE, deceased,
are respectfully invited to attend his FUNERAL;
to leave his late residence, Pahroombin, Break-
fast Creek, THIS (Saturday) AFTERNOON, at
4 o"clock for the General Cemetery. WALTER BARRETT,
Undertaker,
2776 Petrie Bight.
At that time, the "General Cemetery" of Brisbane was Toowong Cemetery.
Business George Edmondstone had a butchery in Queen Street, the main street of Brisbane. Public George was a founding alderman (1859–1866) of the Brisbane Municipal Council and its mayor in 1863.
He served on a number of committees including:
Legislative Committee 1859 - 1865
Lighting Committee 1862
Incorporation Committee 1862, 1864
Bridge Committee 1862 - 1864, 1866
Water Committee 1864
Finance Committee 1866
Brisbane Board of Waterworks 1874 - 1883
He also represented the electorate of Town of Brisbane from 10 February 1869 to 14 November 1873 and then the electorate of Wickham from 18 November 1873 to 28 April 1877. He made a substantial contribution to the early development of Brisbane.
Amongst the initiatives that he championed were:
Breakfast Creek Bridge
Brisbane General Cemetery Trust, now known as the Toowong Cemetery (where he is buried near the front gates)
A primary school in Spring Hill (today the Brisbane Central State School)
As mayor in 1863-1864 he had much to do with the planning of the first Brisbane bridge, the town hall and Brisbane Waterworks.
He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly and an alderman and mayor in the Brisbane Municipal Council. George was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (lower house) of Queensland representing the electorate of East Moreton from 7 May 1860 to 1 July 1867. On 12 May 1877, George was made a life Member of the Legislative Council of Queensland until his death on 23 February 1883.
