Thomas Holt (Australian politician)
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The Honourable Thomas Holt |
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| Colonial Treasurer of New South Wales | |
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In office 6 June 1856 – 25 August 1856 |
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| Preceded by | New Position |
| Succeeded by | Robert Campbell |
| Constituency | Stanley Boroughs |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Stanley Boroughs |
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In office 7 April 1856 – 6 June 1856 |
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In office 23 June 1856 – 19 December 1857 |
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| Preceded by | New seat |
| Succeeded by | Benjamin Cribb |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Newtown |
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In office 12 July 1861 – 10 November 1864 |
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| Preceded by | Alexander McArthur |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Brown |
| Member of Legislative Council of New South Wales | |
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In office 13 October 1868 – 6 December 1883 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Holt 14 November 1811 Horbury, Yorkshire, England |
| Died | 5 September 1888 (aged 76) Bexley, Kent, England |
| Resting place | Abney Park Cemetery |
| Nationality | English Australian |
| Spouse(s) | Sophie Eulert (m.1841) |
| Occupation | Pastoralist |
| Religion | Congregationalist |
Thomas Holt (14 November 1811 – 5 September 1888) was an Australian pastoralist, company director and politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council between 1868 and 1883. He was also a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for two periods between 1856 and 1857 and again between 1861 and 1864. Holt was the first Colonial Treasurer in New South Wales.
Holt was the son of a Yorkshire wool merchant and was educated in Wakefield. He initially worked in his father's firm in Leeds but after 3 years became a wool buyer in London. Subsequently, Holt emigrated to Sydney in 1842 and made a fortune as a wool merchant. He was also a director of numerous colonial companies including the Sydney Railway Company. Holt invested extensively in pastoral land and by 1860 had acquired more than 3 million acres (12,000 km2) in New South Wales and Queensland. As a result, he was independently wealthy and retired from active business in 1855.
After building a gothic stone mansion, "The Warren", on land overlooking the Cooks River in Marrickville, Holt stocked the grounds with imported European rabbits for breeding and hunting, alpacas, llamas and salmon. Holt also had an extensive estate in the Sans Souci area of Sydney. In later life he was a founder of Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, a member of the Royal Society of New South Wales and a patron of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales.
Holt was unsuccessful at two attempts to enter the Legislative Council prior to the establishment of responsible self-government in 1856. However, at the first election under the new constitution he was elected to the Legislative Assembly as one of the two members for Stanley Boroughs (including Brisbane and Ipswich) which, prior to the establishment of Queensland as a separate colony in 1859, was part of New South Wales. At the next election in 1858, Holt was defeated in an attempt to transfer to the seat of Cumberland (South Riding). He re-entered the Assembly as the member for Newtown at an 1861 by-election caused by the resignation of Alexander McArthur but resigned from the seat before the next election in 1864–65. In 1868 he accepted a life appointment to the Legislative Council.
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