Henri Alexis Tardent

Henry Alexis Tardent (1 March 1853 – 5 September 1929) was a Swiss-Australian writer and agricultural scientist in Queensland. He was politically left-wing and wrote for the labour-aligned Daily Standard for many years.

Early life Tardent was born on 1 March 1853 in Le Sépey, Vaud, Switzerland.

After being educated in local schools, Tardent travelled through Eastern Europe and eventually matriculated from Odessa University with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. He spent time in Galicia and Bessarabia, learning Polish, German, Russian and Latin.

Move to Australia Due to political instability and poor health, Tardent and his family immigrated to Australia in 1887. He established a farm and winery at Roma, Queensland, which he ran as a co-operative. He became a naturalised British subject in 1890. Following an economic downturn, in 1897 Tardent took up an appointment as manager of the Westbrook State Farm, an experimental farm near Toowoomba. He was transferred to the Biggenden State Farm in 1898, but resigned in 1901 when the state government objected to his political activities.