Sir Thomas Elder

Entrepreneur, born in Kirkcaldy, Fife, E Scotland, UK. He emigrated to Adelaide, South Australia, in 1854. With his brother he financed copper mines in South Australia, then in partnership with Robert Barr Smith founded the firm of Elder, Smith & Co in 1863. This grew into one of the world's largest wool-broking firms, building up extensive pastoral holdings to maintain the supply of wool, stretching into Western Australia and Queensland. He brought in camels to provide efficient transport in the outback, which proved invaluable for some of the early expeditions into the ‘centre’ made by Warburton, Ross, Giles, and Lewis, all of whose expeditions were financed by Elder. The company he helped establish is perpetuated in the international brewing and resources group, Elders IXL.

Sir Thomas Elder (1818 - March 6, 1897) was a Scottish-Australian pastoralist and public figure, amongst other things he is notable for introducing camels to Australia.

Elder, fourth son of George Elder, merchant, was born at Kirkcaldy, Scotland. His elder brother, Alexander Lang Elder (1815-85), went to South Australia in 1839 and founded the firm of Elder and Company at Adelaide. In August 1851 he was elected a member of the legislative council for West Adelaide but resigned his seat in March 1853, and returned to England to become the London representative of Elder and Company. Thomas Elder came to Adelaide in June 1854 and was given a share in the business of which later on he became the chief partner, In 1863 Robert Barr Smith became a partner, and the business, now known as Elder Smith and Company, developed into one of the largest and most prosperous in Australia.

Elder, however, had other important interests. He became associated with Peter Waite in the Paratoo run in 1862, in the same year bought Beltana station, and eventually became the owner of an enormous tract of country. Much of this was land with a very low rainfall, and Elder spent a great deal of money sinking artesian wells, making dams and fencing. They became an important factor in the development of the northern area of South Australia.

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. Elder was also fortunate in his mining ventures. Elder Smith and Company was formed into a public company, and Elder henceforth lived chiefly in the country.

Elder was much interested in horses and made the breeding of blood stock a hobby. In 1874 he gave £20,000 towards an endowment fund for the University of Adelaide, and with later gifts and bequests the total amount received by this institution from him was just short of £100,000. The Elder Conservatorium of Music perpetuates his name. The Art gallery at Adelaide received a bequest Of £25,000, and many of the finest pictures of the gallery were purchased from this fund.