GEORGE CHAMBERLAIN

George was born in New South Wales in 1836, possibly in the Camperdown area. He gave his trade as a butcher, but seemed to like a life of crime, for he turned up with William Armstrong, George Penny and another man unknown and roamed the Omeo District.

By January 1859, he had already spent some time of a five year sentence in gaol for horse stealing and was out having received remission for good behaviour. On the 5th January the gang heard that Cornelius Green would be travelling from Omeo to Bairnsdale with a large quantity of gold. Next day the gang lay in wait, and without any warning shot him in cold blood and badly mutilated his body in an act of frustration due to the packhorse carrying the gold having bolted.

Some weeks later, Chamberlain and his friends were arrested and lodged in the Collingwood Stockade. On June 28th 1859, he was transferred to the Melbourne Gaol to await trial. He was tried with William Armstrong and sentenced to death. His life ended on 12th July, when he was hanged.