My First 80 Years

George Brown wanted to write about his interesting life for his family and friends. He loved writing and kept diaries of some of his adventures during his later life. In 1970 he helped his wife, Nan Brown, to write a book about their adventure living in South Georgia in the Antarctic for two and a half years in the mid-1950s. The book is entitled Antarctic Housewife. George lived in some very diverse places-Glasgow, Edinburgh, was at sea in the British Merchant Navy sailing to Asia, Africa, and India during the war at thirteen years of age, Grytviken, South Georgia, Alice Springs in Central Australia, Queensland Sunshine Coast, and Adelaide. During his time spent in Alice Springs, he worked as the Director for the Royal Flying Doctor service for thirteen years from 1957 when Alice Springs was a very small town and the only communication for people in the outback was a two-way radio. He and his wife then started the first travel agency in Alice Springs and were able to travel to new destinations together for their business. George then began a two-way communication business in Alice Springs, selling radios, phones and equipment for communication in the outback of Australia. This was called XLCom. He operated this for several years before retiring when he and Nan moved to the Sunshine Coast and lived between Alice Springs and Mooloolaba. His daughter Catriona ran the business for them. George was involved in the community in Alice Springs for years; he started the Alice Springs Pipe Band with friend Ron Ross. He also was a lifetime member and past president of Mbantua Rotary Club and was heavily involved in rotary community fund-raising events like the Henley on Todd for numerous years. George was a member of the Show Society and organized the annual Alice Springs show, which was the highlight for families in Central Australia. He became involved as a volunteer in the Alice Springs Pony Club when his daughters started riding at a young age. George was president of the show Jumping Club and became a show jump course builder. They traveled to Edinburgh where he owned a flat to tour around Scotland, but sadly, his wife died in 1995 due to suicide. George was totally devastated that the love of his life could end her life so tragically. George then returned to Australia to build a large place in Alice Springs and live with his two daughters, Fiona and Catriona, and their families in a large shared house on a block out of town on the Todd River. He kept himself busy by gardening, building a cottage, traveling to places like Europe and South Georgia to learn more about places he had visited in his earlier life. He had developed a real interest in World War II and the British Merchant Navy. He caught up with friends from the various stages in his life and reacquainted himself with his family living in Australia and England. He was invited to South Georgia to help restore the church and the community of Grytviken for tourits to visit as South Georgia and the Antarctic were opening up for tourism. He spent several months back in the place he loved the most.