1. Sir Thomas Elder was a Scottish-Australian pastoralist, highly successful businessman, philanthropist, politician, race-horse owner and breeder, and public figure.
28 Facts About Thomas Elder
1. 2.
Thomas Elder was joined by his brothers William and George.
3.
Thomas Elder resigned his seat in March 1853, and left South Australia.
4.
Thomas Elder migrated to Adelaide in 1854 and worked with George for a year.
5.
Thomas Elder became associated with Peter Waite in the Paratoo run in 1862, in the same year he bought Beltana station, and eventually became the owner of an enormous tract of country.
6.
Thomas Elder was said to have held at one time a pastoral area greater in extent than the whole of Scotland.
7.
Much of this was land with a very low rainfall, and Thomas Elder spent a great deal of money sinking artesian wells, making dams and fencing.
8.
Thomas Elder established a horse-breeding centre at Blanchetown to supply stock to the Indian market.
9.
Thomas Elder entered political life as a member of the South Australian Legislative Council in 1863 but retired in 1869.
10.
Thomas Elder was again elected in 1871, but resigned in 1878 and took no further part in politics.
11.
Thomas Elder attended the Paris Exhibition of 1878 as honorary commissioner for South Australia, and during this time he received his knighthood.
12.
Thomas Elder was much interested in horses and made the breeding of blood stock a hobby at his stud in Morphettville.
13.
Thomas Elder was a leading racing man between 1875 and 1884 and had the highest reputation.
14.
Thomas Elder sold his race-horses in 1884 but continued his stud.
15.
Thomas Elder was an enthusiastic yachtsman and for many years commodore of the Glenelg Sailing Club.
16.
Thomas Elder had interests in the wine industry and was quite successful in exhibitions in Adelaide and London.
17.
Thomas Elder was a founder of the Tintara Vineyard company in 1862.
18.
Thomas Elder encouraged exploration, contributed largely to Warburton's 1873 expedition and Giles's in 1875, supplying camels in each case, which proved to be of the greatest value.
19.
Thomas Elder contributed liberally to the cost of other explorations such as those by John Ross and the 1891 Elder Scientific Exploring Expedition led by David Lindsay, and in no case sought or obtained any return for himself.
20.
Thomas Elder supported every kind of manly sport and his benefactions both private and public were widespread and almost without limit.
21.
Thomas Elder himself published a small booklet in 1893: Notes from a Pocket Journal of a Trip up the River Murray in 1856, recounting a voyage in the steamer Gundagai.
22.
In 1882, Thomas Elder donated the rotunda to Thomas Elder Park, which was renamed in his honour in 1907.
23.
Thomas Elder had a severe illness in 1887 and shortly afterwards retired.
24.
Thomas Elder was knighted in 1878 and created Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1887.
25.
Thomas Elder died from influenza at his home, "The Pinnacle", near Mount Lofty, on 6 March 1897, and was buried in the Mitcham cemetery.
26.
Thomas Elder is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of Australian gecko, Strophurus elderi.
27.
The South Australian electoral district of Thomas Elder is named in his honour.
28.
Thomas Elder is mentioned in Jules Verne's 1891 adventure novel, Mistress Branican.