George Thorn (senior)
| George Thorn, Sr. | |
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| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for West Moreton |
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In office 3 May 1860 – 3 April 1861 Serving with Alfred Broughton, Henry Challinor, William Nelson, Joseph Fleming |
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| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Cribb |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
George Thorn 11 April 1806 , England |
| Died | 28 April 1876 (aged 70) Ipswich, Queensland, Australia |
| Resting place | Ipswich General Cemetery |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Hancock |
| Relations | George Thorn, Jr. (son), John Thorn (son), Henry Thorn (son), William Thorn (son), George Harris (son-in-law), Richard Gardiner Casey (son-in-law), Baron Casey (grandson) |
| Occupation | Soldier, Hotelier |
| Religion | Church of England |
George Thorn (senior) (11 April 1806 – 28 April 1876) was a politician in Queensland, Australia. He was a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. He was known as the "father of Ipswich" for his contributions to establishing that town.
George Thorn was born on 11 April 1806 near , Hampshire, England, the son of farmer Simon Thorn and his wife Elizabeth.
Thorn enlisted in the 4th (Queen's own) Regiment, and after serving for some time in England and elsewhere, he emigrated c. 1833 to New South Wales, being at that time a non-commissioned offocer in his regiment. He first settled in Sydney, and having renounced his calling as a soldier, he entered the Town Survey Department where he formed the acquaintance of Sir Richard Bourke, the then Governor of New South Wales, and was present with Bourke at the first survey of Melbourne in March 1837. In June 1837, his regiment left for India, but Thorn decided to remain in Sydney, marrying the seventeen-year-old Jane Handcock on 2 November 1837. The couple had ten children:
Four of his sons entered Queensland Parliament. His daughter Jane married George Harris, a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly, and their daughter Eveline married Richard Gardiner Casey, also a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. The son of Eveline and Richard Casey was Richard Gavin Gardiner Casey, Governor-General of Australia.
Having quit the army in 1837, Thorn joined the Commissariat, and whilst holding office in the latter he was, in 1838, transferred to Moreton Bay. On arrival he immediately took up his residence in Ipswich, having been placed in charge of all the Government stock-cattle, sheep, and horses then located in the surrounding neighbourhood. He also had the supervision of a large area of land, under cultivation by the Government, at a place then designated the "Ploughed Station", but later known as "The Grange" and the racecourse. Here were successfully cultivated large fields of wheat (the first ever grown in the Queensland colony). Thorn faithfully discharged the duties of his office to the satisfaction of his superiors. During his whole career as Government superintendent, his subordinates (often convicts with wild and ungovernable temperaments) held him in high esteem. Thorn continued to hold the office of superintendent until Queensland became a free settlement, when he retired.
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