Thomas Archer (pastoralist)

Thomas Archer, CMG (27 February 1823 – 9 December 1905) was a pioneer pastoralist and Agent General for Queensland (Australia).

Archer was the son of William Archer and his wife Julia née Walker and was born in Glasgow, Scotland. When aged three years he was taken to Larvik, Norway, where his parents lived for the rest of their lives. Thomas was one of thirteen children.

At fourteen years (or sixteen ) of age Archer went with an elder brother to Australia, arriving at Sydney on 31 December 1837. A brother David, had arrived earlier in 1834. Other brothers William and Thomas followed in 1838 and land was sought in New South Wales. In 1841 the Archer brothers moved over what is now the border between New South Wales and Queensland, taking about 5,000 sheep with them. Travelling approximately on the line of the present towns of Warwick and Toowoomba, they crossed the main range at Hodgson's Gap, and established themselves for four or five years in the Moreton District. They also did a good deal of exploratory work as far north as the Burnett River. In 1848 to 1849 Thomas Archer left and went to the California goldfields, returned briefly to Queensland and then went to England. In 1853 he married Grace Lindsay, daughter of James Morison, and then returned to Queensland. The harsh life, however, did not suit his young wife's health and a return was made to Scotland in 1855. Part of the next five years was spent in Norway, and most of the time between 1860 and 1872 in Scotland. Archer had retained an interest in the Queensland station, and the eldest son having been established at University of Edinburgh, the family set sail for Australia in March 1872 and spent about eight years at the station at Gracemere, about 11 km (6.8 mi) from present-day Rockhampton in central Queensland.

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