An old Pioneer Dead - Passing of Mr. Geo. Clout, Sen.

15 April 1924 The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser

On Friday morning death removed from this earth Mr. George Clout, senr., a man who was well-known in the Tumut, Gundagai, and Adelong districts, and was one of the grand old pioneers of this part of New South Wales.

He was born and bred a bushman, and had lived the land life in every phase. 

Deceased was born at Lansdowne Park, Goulburn, in 1845, on the estate of the late William Bradley, where his father was overseer. 

When he was 12 years of age he took his first job in a bakehouse at Goulburn, at a wage of 5/- per week.

He afterwards became a carrier, for those were the days when the teams carried the loads from the country to Sydney and back, as there was no railway. 

In 1863 deceased came with his parents to Tumut, and in 1865 settled at Upper Brungle, and that selection eventually became the home of deceased, which he carried on successfully and made it famous under the name of 'Rosemount,' for 56 years.

He there married a daughter of Mr. Thos. Hill and the issue of the marriage was two sons and three daughters, four of whom are living, Mr. Geo. Clout, jun., of Rosemount, being very well-known in Gundagai residents.

During deceased's lengthy occupancy of 'Rosemount' he took part in almost every public movement in an around Tumut, and was a large and valued exhibitor at the Gundagai and Tumut Shows. 

Deceased was what might be termed a self-taught man, as education facilities were very scarce when he was a boy, but with close reading and study be made himself a man able to talk, discuss and write on almost any subject, and he was a must valued correspondent to the 'Times' and other papers.

In fact the valuable early settlement articles now appearing in this paper clearly proves what use he made of the talents God had given him and how clear his memory on past history was. 

It is only recently that deceased retired from farming life and went to live privately in Tumut, where be passed away to his long at the age of 79 years.

The funeral took place in Tumut on Saturday, when the large concourse of town and district people proved conclusively the respect in which deceased was held. 

We offer our sympathy to the widow and children on their irreparable loss, and the country is a long way poorer by the end of a life of one of our most interesting personalities and valued citizens.