George Anthony Morgan Taylor

"Tony" Taylor enrolled at Sydney High in 5th year from Maitland High School.

He was awarded the George Cross (at the time, the highest civil award for bravery for Australians) for bravery during the Mount Lamington volcanic eruption in Papua New Guinea in 1951. He was a vulcanologist with the Commonwealth Bureau of Mineral Resources.

His citation for the award states:

Mount Lamington, in Papua, began to erupt on the night of 18th January, 1951. Three days later there was a violent eruption when a large part of the northern side of the mountain was blown away and steam and smoke poured from the gap for a considerable time afterwards. The area of extreme damage extended over a radius of about eight miles, while people near Higaturu, nine miles from the volcano, were killed by the blast or burned to death. This and subsequent eruptions caused the death of some 4,000 persons, and considerable damage. Dust and ash filled every stream and tank for some miles around, and there was urgent need of food, water and medical supplies. Rescue parties were hampered by suffocating pumice dust and sulphurous fumes, and hot ashes on the ground, and the advance post of relief workers at Popondetta was threatened with destruction by other eruptions during the several days following. Further tremors and explosions occurred during February. As late as March 5th a major eruption occurred which threw as far as two miles pieces of volcanic dome, 15 ft. by 12 ft. by 10 ft., and caused a flow of pumice and rocks for a distance of nine miles, the whole being so hot as to set fire to every tree in its path.

For a prolonged period Mr. Taylor showed conspicuous courage in the face of great danger. He arrived at Mount Lamington on the day following the main eruption and from that day onwards, over a period of several months, he visited the crater by aircraft almost daily, and on many other occasions, on foot. On some occasions he stayed at the foot of the volcano throughout the night. During the whole of this period the volcano was never entirely quiet. Several eruptions took place without any warning or any indication from the seismographical data which he had collected. Without regard for his personal safety he entered the danger area again and again, each time at great risk, both in order to ensure the safety of the rescue and working parties and in order to obtain scientific information relating to this type of volcano, about which little was known. His work saved many lives for as a result of his investigations in the danger zone he was able, when necessary, to warn rehabilitation parties and ensure that they were prevented from entering an area which he so fearlessly entered himself.