Thomas Hyland Smeaton

Thomas Hyland Smeaton (15 July 1857 – 17 October 1927) was an Australian politician and trade unionist. He was a member of the South Australian House of Assembly from 1905 to 1921, representing the electorates of Torrens (1905-1915) and Sturt (1915-1921). He was a member of the Australian Labor Party until being expelled in the 1917 Labor split over conscription, and represented the splinter National Party until he left parliament.

Smeaton was born in Glasgow, the second son of builder Thomas Smeaton, and was educated at the Free Church Normal Seminary, and the Andersonian University. He served an apprenticeship as a stone cutter then studied architecture at the Glasgow School of Arts under Alexander "Greek" Thomson, then worked for architect Robert McCallam.

He emigrated to South Australia, arriving on 15 January 1879, and worked for the South Australian Government for a year as clerk of works, then for a private firm, then opened his own architectural practice. He designed the Y.M.C.A. and Fire Brigade buildings in Adelaide.

He was elected councillor for Young Ward in the Adelaide City Council in 1892, retiring in 1896. He stood, unsuccessfully for the position of Mayor of Adelaide, but was defeated by A. W. Ware. He took an interest in the South Australian Village Settlements, and became a very active Secretary of the Village Settlements Association, which gave financial support to many of the thirteen communes.

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