George Thompson was born in Scotland and emigrated to America, where he served his apprenticeship as a tanner before coming to New South Wales, after he heard that gold had been discovered on the Turon River. He subsequently made his way to Bathurst and to the goldfields, only to meet with misfortune.

When he left the diggings and arrived in Kelso, he “only possessed but fourpence”. He decided to get a job in the only field he knew and served with several local tanners in Bathurst before amassing sufficient cash to go into a business partnership with a Mr Ward of Kelso, on the site of the then present Messrs Rivett Bros shops. 

He followed this up two years later by moving further along the O’Connell Plains Road (now Lee Street), situated on the river flats, establishing ‘the present known tannery’. His tannery then occupied a couple of acres of ground.   

George Thompson married Fanny Moran at Kelso in 1853. She later died, but not before the couple had three children. He married Kate Maguire in Sydney in 1887 - ironically, the same year that his sons took over the business.    

George Thompson was a Protectionist, as were many Kelso and Bathurst businessmen. In 1890, he was visiting local businesses and advocating that other businessmen and Protectionists made sure that their name was on the electoral roll, which was being compiled locally by Senior Sergeant Musgrove. 

Messrs Kable and Muggeridge were the secretaries of the Bathurst branch of the Protection League and personal friends of Mr Thompson.

On January 1, 1908, after a somewhat lingering illness, George Thompson, the well-known Kelso tanner, passed away at his residence, 103 Seymour Street, Bathurst, at the mature age of 80 years. For several weeks just previous to Christmas he had been confined to his room, but during the festive season he was sufficiently well to be about, and was able to partake of Christmas dinner, as well as several other meals, at the table with members of his family.

Shortly after nine o'clock on Monday night, however, he was seized with an attack of haemorrhage of the lungs, beneath the stress of which he gradually sank and passed away. He was with an inexhaustible supply of indomitable pluck and energy running the tannery for the past 46 years, and in which he was to be found working up to the commencement of his illness about three months ago.

He was survived by four sons and two daughters by his former marriage, and one son and one daughter by his latter marriage. His first wife’s surviving family were Messrs William, Arthur, Alfred and Albert Thompson, of Kelso, and Mesdames F. Croft and A. Sambrook, of Bathurst, while his second wife’s children were Mr Harold Thompson and Miss Gladys Thompson. He was also survived by his second wife, to whom, as well as to the other bereaved ones, widespread sympathy was extended.

Mr Thompson did not identify himself with public affairs but was a life member of both the Bathurst School of Arts and the Bathurst District Hospital. Although Mr. Thompson always stated he wasn’t terribly publicly minded, he was for a time the president of the Bathurst Progress Association. He usually chaired the meetings in 1898, when Drs. W.F. Bassett and Hurst, Messrs. W. G. Thompson, H.C. Beavis and G.S. White were usually present.

He regularly donated prizes to the Kelso Public School and the Catholic Primary School children. He supported any of the children’s sports at the Sports Ground, donating money for prizes and food.