| George McGowan commenced his working life in the printing trade, quickly making a name for himself in Walhalla as the printer and publisher of the Walhalla Miner . Continuing in this line of work, McGowan moved to the Berrigan Advocate and again to the Tungamah Independent, before settling down somewhat as the manager of the Singer Sewing Machine Company in the Wimmera. Forced from this job as a result of his strong support for Labor candidate JK McDougall (who won the seat of Wannon in 1906), he reappeared a short time later organising a large public meeting on behalf of the Murray River Main Canal League. During the tumultuous years of the First World War, McGowan, who was now living in Melbourne, lobbied enthusiastically on behalf of the anti-conscription campaign. At this time he was also engaged as secretary of both the Agricultural Implement Workers' Union and the Journeymen Farriers' Association. Prosecuted several times under the War Precautions Act, McGowan went on to contest a number of seats for Labor before eventually settling in Coburg where he was elected to the Coburg Council in 1924. Suffering ill-health in his later years, McGowan died in 1931. |
