George Frederic Verdon

Who was George Frederic Verdon?

Sir George Frederic Verdon was an English Australian politician and public figure.

Verdon was a son of the Rev. Edward Verdon, he was born in Bury, Lancashire, England. He was educated at Rossall School, and when 17 years of age emigrated to Melbourne. Obtaining a position in the office of Grice Sumner and Company he afterwards went into business at Williamstown, and began his public career as a member of the local municipal council. He was chairman of a conference of municipal delegates and soon afterwards published in 1858 a pamphlet on The Present and Future of Municipal Government in Victoria. He was elected a member of the legislative assembly for Williamstown in 1859, and in November 1860 joined the Heales ministry as treasurer. He resigned with the ministry in November 1861 but in June 1863 became treasurer in the McCulloch ministry which remained in office until May 1868.

During the parliamentary recess in 1866 Verdon was sent to England to bring the question of the defences of Victoria before the English authorities. He succeeded in obtaining £100,000 towards the cost of a warship, the Cerberus, and the Nelson was given to Victoria as a training-ship.