George Alfred Russell (c. 1839 – 6 December 1926)[1] was an Australian businessman involved in several business ventures, finally acting as Australian manager for the North British Insurance Company.
He arrived in Sydney from London in 1859, first employed as shipping clerk for G. A. Lloyd,[3] and later with George R. Dibbs, who was conducting a trade in coal and wheat with Valparaiso, Chile, where sometime around 1865 Russell married Louisa Gertrude Robey, daughter of R. M. Robey, Dibbs having married Anne Maria Robey in 1857.
[4] Returning to Australia, he was involved in the flotation of a number of mining companies, serving as secretary to Woolgarlo Lead Mining Company, of which one director was John Le Gay Brereton, Sr.,[5] then from 1890 to 1909[6] manager of the North British and Mercantile Insurance Company.
Described as "a man of exceptional culture and fine integrity",[3] he was an expert chess player, playing for New South Wales against Victoria, and after moving to Victoria in 1890, a member of that team.
[25] Their children include Una Stella Haslingden Russell (born 1871 at Goulburn), who married John Downer on 29 November 1899.