Thomas Elder facts for kids
Sir Thomas Elder (born August 5, 1818 – died March 6, 1897) was a Scottish-Australian man who achieved many things. He was a successful landowner, a smart businessman, and a generous person who gave a lot of money to good causes. He was also involved in politics, owned and bred racehorses, and was a well-known public figure. One of his most famous achievements was bringing camels to Australia, which helped a lot with exploring and developing the dry parts of the country.
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Early Life in Scotland and Australia
Thomas Elder was born in a town called Kirkcaldy in Scotland. He was the fourth son in his family.
His older brother, Alexander Lang Elder, came to South Australia in 1839. He started a business called Elder and Company in Adelaide. Thomas's other brothers, William and George, also joined the business. Later, George and Alex partnered with a sheep farmer named W.S. Peter to start a sheep farm called Warrow Station. Alexander eventually moved to London and continued to work as an agent for the Adelaide company.
Building Businesses in South Australia
Thomas Elder moved to Adelaide in 1854. He worked with his brother George for a year. After George left, Thomas started his own business called Elder, Stirling & Co. He partnered with Edward Stirling, Robert Barr Smith, and John Taylor.
In 1863, Thomas Elder and Robert Barr Smith formed a new company called Elder Smith and Co. This company became very successful. In 1875, they also helped start the Adelaide Steamship Company, which was important for shipping goods around Australia.
Thomas also bought a large home called "Birksgate" in Glen Osmond in 1864. He made many improvements to it.
A Giant Landowner and Camel Pioneer
Thomas Elder was a huge landowner, known as a pastoralist. He owned vast areas of land for raising sheep and cattle. With Robert Barr Smith, he bought Nilpena Station in 1859. He also bought Beltana station in 1862 and many other properties.
It's said that at one point, he owned more land than the entire country of Scotland! Much of this land was very dry. Thomas spent a lot of money digging deep wells and building dams to find water for his animals.
In 1866, he brought 120 camels from India to Australia. He also brought "Afghan" attendants who knew how to care for them. These camels were incredibly useful for traveling through the dry areas and carrying supplies from places like Port Augusta. They played a big part in opening up the northern parts of South Australia.
Mining, Politics, and Racehorses
Thomas Elder was also very lucky with his mining investments. In the early 1860s, he had large shares in the Moonta and Wallaroo copper mines. These investments made him a huge fortune.
He became involved in politics and was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1863 to 1869. He was elected again in 1871 but left politics in 1878.
Elder loved horses and enjoyed breeding racehorses. He was a very well-known figure in horse racing between 1875 and 1884. People knew that if a horse with his colors was in a race, it was there to win! He sold his racehorses in 1884 but continued to breed them.
He also had interests in the wine industry and was successful in wine exhibitions. He helped start the Tintara Vineyard company in 1862.
Helping Others: Thomas Elder's Generosity
Thomas Elder was incredibly generous and supported many good causes. He helped fund important explorations of Australia's interior. He gave a lot of money to Warburton's expedition in 1873 and Giles's expedition in 1875, providing camels that were very valuable. He never asked for anything in return for his help.
He supported all kinds of sports and gave money to many private and public charities.
The Art Gallery of South Australia received £25,000 from his will, and many beautiful paintings in the gallery were bought with this money. He also helped the Library buy many books.
In 1874, he gave £20,000 to help start the new University of Adelaide. When he passed away in 1897, he left another £65,000 to the University. £20,000 of this was specifically for a School of Music. The Elder Conservatorium of Music is named after him, showing his lasting impact. In total, his gifts to the University were nearly £100,000.
Elder Professors at the University
Thomas Elder's gifts helped create some of the first important teaching positions, called "professorships," at the University of Adelaide. These included:
- Mathematics and Natural Philosophy: The first professor was Sir Horace Lamb. Later, this split into separate chairs for Mathematics and Physics. A famous Nobel Prize winner, Sir William Henry Bragg, was an Elder Professor of Mathematics.
- Physics: Sir William Henry Bragg was also the first Elder Professor of Physics.
- Music: He helped create the Elder Professorship of Music in 1883. The people who hold this position also lead the Elder Conservatorium of Music. He also set up scholarships for music students to study overseas.
- Anatomy and Histology: This professorship focused on the study of the body.
- Natural Sciences and Chemistry: He also funded professorships in these important science areas.
Later Years and Legacy
Thomas Elder became very ill in 1887 and soon after retired from his main business. Elder Smith and Company became a public company. He spent most of his later years living in the countryside. He never married.
He was honored by the Queen and became a Knight in 1878. In 1887, he received an even higher honor, becoming a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George.
Sir Thomas Elder passed away on March 6, 1897, at Mount Lofty.
He is remembered in many ways. A species of Australian gecko, called Strophurus elderi, is named after him. His generosity continues to support education and the arts in South Australia through the institutions he helped create.
See also
- Elder Conservatorium of Music
- Elders Limited
