George Druitt

Who was George Druitt?

Major George Druitt was a soldier and Australian pioneer. Mount Druitt was named after him.

Druitt became a professional soldier in 1794. As a member of 48th Regiment he sailed to Australia in 1817 on the Matilda, with 440 officers and men. The soldiers were needed to manage the population in Australia, which was mainly convicts.

While on his journey to New South Wales, George met and formed a relationship with Margaret Lynch who had stowed away on the ship to be with one of the other soldiers. Once they arrived in Australia, George and Margaret lived together and had a daughter Judith in 1819, and two sons, George Joseph in 1820 and Edward in 1821. George and Margaret were married in 1825, eight years after they met. After they were married, they had four more children, Joseph in 1825, Margaret Jane in 1828, Jane Euphemia in 1829 and James Cottingham in 1837.