George was born on the 12th of June 1855 at Consett in the County of Durham, which is in the North of England. As a young boy he came to Australia with his family aboard the sailing ship Donald McKay, which arrived in Port Phillip Bay in December 1861. As a young man he became a gold miner in the Creswick area. On the 8th of January 1876 he married Annie JONES at the Creswick Church of England. (Annie was born at Clunes on the 5th of May 1856)

They had 7 children - Florence Mary, Adelaide Annie, George Michael, Joseph William, Margaret Mary, Robert Roland (my grand father) and Myrtle.

On the 10th of December 1883, George William HUDSON joined the Victorian Railways as a Line Repairer. By 1899 he had worked his way up to a Ganger with the Existing Lines Branch. In 1905 he was a Ganger with Ways & Works Branch on a salary of 9 Shillings (90 cents) a week. This was at a time when a Labourer, Porter or Line Repairer was earning 6 - 8 Shillings a week, but an Engine Driver or Signalman was earning 11 - 12 Shillings a week.

On the 2nd of October 1899, his wife Annie HUDSON, aged 43, died at their home, 215 Ross Street, Port Melbourne and was buried the following day. On the 3rd of October 1901 their son Joseph William Hudson, aged 16, died and was buried on Sunday the 6th of October. (Joseph William was born on the 20th of September 1885 at Teddywaddy near Charlton) At the time of Joseph's death, the family was living at 489 Spencer Street, West Melbourne.

George William HUDSON, at the age of 52 years, died in mysterious circumstances on the 18th of November 1907, and he was buried on the 20th. At the time of his death he was still working for the Railways as a Ganger and was living at Jung near Murtoa. For an account of his death, read the chapter 'Inquest of George W Hudson'.