GEORGE J. SCHNEIDER   1875  -  1956

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George Schneider was born in Gayndah Queensland in 1875, and little was known of his early years, however, twenty two years later, he first advertised as a saddle and harness maker in Longreach in 1897. From Longreach, George is found in Petrie Bight, Brisbane where in 1905 he was advertising the sale of his shop and stock in trade. This could only mean that he moved from Longreach to Brisbane between 1901 and 1905 and struggled to make a living. He must have moved back to the country, as around 1909, G J Schneider was recorded living in the Maranoa area. During this time in Brisbane, it has been discovered that John (Jack) Wieneke was working with Schneider in his shop. Schneider maintained a saddle shop out Maranoa way for quite a while after he returned to Brisbane. In 1921 a partnership with Charles Davis Wieneke (Jack’s son) was commenced in the name of the Wieneke Schneider & Co., and they set up a manufacturing business, in Mary Street, Brisbane. Their trade mark saddle was called the Tom Mix Poley, a very successful seller for station work. A set back in 1922 was recorded, as the [Brisbane Telegraph] reported a fire in Schneider’s premises and other retailers.

However the business prospered, so much so that they moved into bigger premises in George St. After the move from Mary Street, the business seemed to go into decline, and in January 1929, Schneider requested they dissolve the partnership as Chas Wieneke was ignoring the business. The newspaper article pointed out at the court proceedings, Schneider subsequently “went into business on his own, and as far as the witness (Charles D Wieneke) knew was doing well.”

Before the demise of the partnership their reputation of being quality saddle makers had their saddles being sold to all parts of Australia, New Zealand, Samarai, Papua, South Africa and the Philippines.

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When George branched out on his own, he continued to diversify by making revolutionary designed saddles, including the American Style saddle with a patented tree. It was a swinging fender poley saddle called the “American Style” which was designed in 1925. Was George inspired by the Bates/Uhl fender poley developed and sold some 14 years previously in Brisbane? His saddle, advertised as patented on 4th July 1932 onwards in Schneider’s catalogues until the closing of his business. A search found that this patent no: 8080 was void, for reasons including the application being incomplete or incorrect, or the fees had not been paid. In saying that, Schneider continued to advertise his saddles using this tree as a patented tree, though the patent was not in force at all. He also patented a saddle cloth that was sold for years out of his store.

 

His motto for his saddles was “We Lead – Others Follow”. As a sole trader, Geo was very successful, turning out a multitude of designs of saddles to suit the man on the land. There is no record of when George closed his shop, but after his death aged 81 in 1956, he was talked about for many years in Australia,  as being way ahead of his time with his designs.