Compton resident Sandra Edlington is set to share the remarkable life story of her late great grandfather George James Bignell.

She will be the guest speaker when the South East Family History Group holds its next monthly meeting in Millicent at 7.30pm on October 28.

Ms Edlington is the librarian of the vast SEFHG collection of books, newspapers and microfiche records.

Her ancestor was born in Adelaide in 1848 and his family moved to Bendigo in Victoria about two years later.

“George was raised and educated there,” Ms Edlington said.

“He was a very good athlete and I first found mention of him in the newspaper in Bendigo as a 15-year-old entering a boy’s race at a sports day.

“George goes on to enter the running races at sports days for a number of years, which leads to him running in 1869 at the ‘Melbourne Cricket Club Sports day’ and winning.

“His running career takes him on a journey running as a 27-year-old in New Zealand in 1876.

“Running has come down through the family over each generation.

“Later in life George served with the Ballarat Fire Brigade and this will be the second half of my talk.”