ROBERTSON, GEORGE (1860-1933), bookseller and publisher,

son of the Rev. John Robertson, was born at Halstead, Essex, England, on 14 April 1860. He was educated at the South-western Academy, Glasgow, and was trained as a bookseller with James Maclehose, bookseller to the university of Glasgow. He emigrated to New Zealand as a young man and two years later (in 1882) came to Sydney, where he obtained employment at the local branch of George Robertson and Company, booksellers of Melbourne. He was in no way related to the founder of that firm. In January 1886 he joined D. M. Angus in partnership, at first in Market-street and afterwards in Castlereagh-street, Sydney. After Angus's death in 1900 Robertson continued in partnership with Frederick Wymark and Richard Thomson who had acquired Angus's share of the business, until in 1907 the partnership was converted into a public company and continues under the name of Angus & Robertson Ltd. About 1895 the publishing side of the business began to be developed and many successful volumes were launched. Among the earlier authors were Henry Lawson (q.v.), A. B. Paterson (q.v.), and Victor Daley (q.v.). Robertson could recognize quickly a promising author and was willing to take considerable risks in backing his judgment. During the last 30 years of his life the number of volumes he published exceeded the total number brought out in the same period by all the other publishers in Australia. The Australian Encyclopaedia, published in two volumes in 1926, is one of the most important books published in Australia. Robertson died on 27 August 1933. He was married twice, (1) in 1881 to Elizabeth Stewart Bruce and (2) in 1910 to Eva Adeline Ducat. His widow survived him. There were three daughters and a son by the first marriage.

Robertson was a keen man of business with a feeling for good literature. He would frequently buy the right to issue an Australian edition of an English or American book, not only because he thought it would sell, but because he considered it was the kind of book that should be widely read. He could drive a keen bargain, but he also did many kindnesses to the literary men of his time.