Thorn, George (Snr)
Personal
Birth Date:
11 April 1806 (Stockbridge, Hampshire)
Death Date:
28 April 1876 (Ipswich, Queensland)
Parents:
Simon Thorn and Sarah
Family:
Jane Hancock on 2 November 1837 in Sydney, 7 sons, 3 daughters
Religion:
Church of England
Career
Arrived in Australia in 1833 and served Governor Richard Bourke as an orderly; Worked at the Town Survey Department; Bought his discharge and joined the Melbourne Survey Commissariat; Sent to Moreton Bay in 1838 and put in charge of Limestone Hill penal settlement and all government stock; Supervised all government cultivation by convicts; Retired in 1842 when the establishment closed and built the Queen's Arms Hotel; Began purchasing Ipswich town lots in 1843; Acquired Normanby Station in 1844; Invested in Rosebrook, Nukienda, Warra Warra, Kogan and Braemar; Sold the hotel in 1847 and opened a general store
Local Government Service:
Alderman, Ipswich 1862-1865
Military Service:
Enlisted as a soldier in the 34th Regiment; Served as a colour-sergeant in the 4th (King's Own) Regiment; Joined a detachment for service in Port Phillip in 1836
Parliamentary Representation
| House | Party | Electorate | From | To | Elected/Departure Reason |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | NONE | West Moreton | 3 May 1860 | 3 Apr 1861 |
Additional Information
Notes:
His main interest was in Ipswich, where as an alderman he helped establish the Anglican Church, the School of Arts, the hospital, the Ipswich Grammar School, the botanic gardens, the North Australian Club, the racing club and the Queensland Pastoral and Agricultural Society. In 1863 he bought the house 'Claremont', formerly owned by John Panton. He had a reputation for 'larky humour', thoroughness and integrity. He will be remembered as the 'Father of Ipswich'
Sources:
Image courtesy of John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland, Neg:18315; Waterson, DB, Biographical Register of the Queensland Parliament: 1860-1929, 2nd revised edition (Sydney: Casket Publications, 2001); Haenke, Helen, 'Thorn, George (1806-1876)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, V.6, Melbourne University Press, 1976, pp 272-273
[Last Modified: Tuesday, 25 July 2017]