Thomas Barker

Thomas Barker (25 March 1799 – 12 March 1875) was an Australian businessman and politician who was an integral proponent of many of Sydney's earliest business, educational and political institutions. He was an appointed member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1853 and 1856 and an elected member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for one term from 1856 to 1858.

Biography

Early life

Thomas Barker was born on 25 March 1799 in Soho in London's West End, the son of James Barker and Mary (née Shuldham). Thomas was schooled at an early age at Chambers' academy near St Martin's le Grand, followed by a school at Writtle (near Chelmsford, county Essex), and later at Dumas's academy at Hackney, London. Both his parents died when Barker was aged nine, after which he was raised by a guardian. Dickson applied for permission to settle in New South Wales and was permitted a town grant in Sydney and land in the hinterland "proportionate to his capital". Dickson and his apprentices, including Thomas Barker, arrived in Sydney aboard the Earl Spencer in October 1813. Dickson arrived in the colony with tools and machinery, including a steam-engine and turning lathes from his Southwark manufactory.

Thomas Barker and Joanna Dickson were married on 4 June 1823 at St. Philip's church in Sydney. Joanna was the niece of John Dickson and the eldest daughter of James and Helen Dickson of Bringelly. The couple had no children.

In May 1824 Barker was granted 800 acres (324 ha) of land at Yass. After undertaking a tour of various European countries, the couple returned to Sydney in September 1840.

To carry out his flour milling business James Barker entered into partnership with Ambrose Hallen, but their enterprise was an early casualty of the economic depression in the colony during the early 1840s. By the time of Thomas Barker's arrival back in Sydney, his brother James was in severe financial difficulties. While living in Edinburgh, Thomas Barker had received ten thousand pounds from Dr. Graham, Professor of Botany at the University of Edinburgh, to be invested in the New South Wales colony in the form of mortgages at ten percent per annum interest. On returning to Sydney Barker lent six thousand pounds of Dr. Graham's money to his brother James, on the security of a portion his brother's 'Castle Forbes' estate at Singleton. Almost immediately after the mortgage was effected, the symptoms of the developing financial depression began to show themselves, James Barker's flour-milling business became insolvent and the stake in 'Castle Forbes' proved to be a bad investment, as a consequence of which in the following years interest on the loan ceased to be paid and "about two-thirds" of the principal "was given up as lost".

Thomas Barker had resumed his business interests after returning to Sydney, and from about 1843 carried on business with his brother as T. Barker and Co., based at his Sussex Street flour-mills. In 1843, with the introduction of district councils to the colony, Barker was appointed a warden of the district of Sydney.

Barker's wife Joanna died on 24 December 1851 at 'Roslyn Hall' in Darlinghurst.

In the late 1840s Barker built a mill for the manufacture of wool into tweed fabric, located adjacent to his extensive flour-mills near the corner of Sussex and Bathurst Streets. The machinery was substantially manufactured in the colony and worked by a 16 horse-power steam engine.

Since the 1830s Barker had purchased pastoral land in the Goulburn district (county of Argyle), which he continued to do until the 1850s.

Barker was a member of the provisional committee of the then-named Sydney Tramroad and Railway Company, formed in early 1849. He was one of six directors of the Sydney Railway Company, which was incorporated in October 1849. He occupied a seat on the board of directors until the property of the company was sold to the New South Wales government in January 1955, after which Barker was appointed to the honorary government position of Commissioner of Railways.

Colonial Parliament

In April 1853 Thomas Barker was appointed as a non-elective member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, replacing Thomas Icely who had resigned from his position. He served on the Legislative Council until February 1856.

In 1856, at the first colonial election after the granting of responsible government for New South Wales, Barker decided to nominate as a candidate for a seat in the newly-formed Legislative Assembly. He initially offered himself as a candidate for the electorate of St. Vincent, "but after remaining in the field for some weeks and canvassing the district, he retired from the contest". He then nominated for the seat of Gloucester and Macquarie. Barker served as the member for Gloucester and Macquarie in the first responsible parliament and was defeated against one other candidate at the following election in February 1858 with 275 votes (or 39.29 percent). He did not stand for further public office. He was appointed as a trustee of the New South Wales Savings Bank and was a director of the Sydney Exchange Company. In 1857 Barker contributed £100 for a side window in the university's Great Hall.

Barker was a trustee of the Sydney Bethel Union and, with his wife, an active member of the Sydney Female Refuge Society.

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