George was born in Otaki in 1940. His father, Bing Sue, came to New Zealand in1908 at the age of 18, and after working in Fiji and surviving the Napier earth quake chose to settle in the Horowhenua where he purchased a piece of land.

All of George’s schooling took place in Levin – Levin Central School, East School then Horowhenua College. George felt that he wasn’t one of those students who could achieve academically – he was interested in animals and land and studied agriculture at college.

At the age of 18, George travelled to Hong Kong with his older sister and parents. He did not find it easy adjusting to life in Hong Kong as it was overwhelming and the streets were so crowded, but while there he attended the Hong Kong School of Commerce as a night student and the Hong Kong University as a law student and worked during the day as a Inspector of the HK RSPCA and a Tour guide to limousine tours for NZ tourist at the Far East Travel Company.

Returning to New Zealand when he was 22, he was invited to join his brother in his Market Gardening business. He married Shirley from Auckland and together they started their own vegetable growing company in 1967, raised four children, Liane, Vincent, Bronwyn and Warrick all of whom have attended Fairfield School and Waiopehu College.

George has an extensive background in business and community organizations, including Inaugural President of the Horowhenua Growers’ Association for 15 years, a member of the Horowhenua Kapiti Business Development Board for 13 years, including 4 years as Chairman, and Chairman of the JP’s Association. He has been involved with Rotary, Jaycees, the Kindergarten Association, Waiopehu College Board of Governors, Horowhenua Advisory Council on Transitional Education and the Horowhenua Children’s Board which was concerned with young offenders.

Today George has retired from his market gardening business. The produce was marketed by wholesalers in Christchurch and in the north Island. George and Shirley also own a herbal business called ‘Four Seasons’. With three managers and 200 independent distributors in the North Island.