George A. Buist (1859-1941)

On Friday, 28 February 1941 the Nambour Chronicle and North Coast Advertiser Newspaper published the following: "A resident of Gympie since 1883 [sic], Mr. George Alexander Buist, at one time Mayor of this City, and active in many public activities, died on Sunday afternoon last, at the age of 82 years... He was born in Cupar, Fifeshire, Scotland, on January 20, 1859. From January 1, 1915 to December 31, 1930 he occupied the position of Clerk of the Widgee Shire Council and at various periods was also Clerk of Bell's Bridge Board, Chairman of the Fire Brigade Board, a member of the Committee of the Gympie Centre Q. A. T. B., the Gympie Hospital and Chief of the Gympie Caledonian Society. The Boy Scout Movement was another of his interests, occupying the position of senior scoutmaster of the Gympie Boy Scouts Association. In Freemasonary the late Mr. Buist held the highest Masonic honours as a member of the Gympie Braemar Lodge U. G. L. Q. In early years in connection with Freemasonary in the Nambour district he was a frequent visitor and took a prominent part in lodge ceremonies." George Buist married twice and had two children by his first wife who died at the age of 30. He was a well-respected citizen of Gympie. This then is the narrative of the life and times of George Alexander Buist.