William Thomas (29 April 1794 – 1 December 1867) represented Aboriginal people in various roles in the

Port Phillip Port Phillip ( Kulin: ''Narm-Narm'') or Port Phillip Bay is a horsehead-shaped enclosed bay on the central coast of southern Victoria, Australia. The bay opens into the Bass Strait via a short, narrow channel known as The Rip, and is com ...

district (now known as the state of Victoria) in Australia.

Early life

William Thomas was born on 29 April 1794 in

Westminster, London Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

. His father was an officer in the British army under Sir Ralph Abercrombie and died in the Battle of Alexandria in 1801. Thomas's formal education was concluded at 21 with a year on

the continent Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...

, spent mainly in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

and

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

. With little capital or prospects for patronage, he founded a successful school located in Southwark on the

Old Kent Road Old Kent Road is a major thoroughfare in South East London, England, passing through the London Borough of Southwark. It was originally part of an ancient trackway that was paved by the Romans and used by the Anglo-Saxons who named it Wæceli ...

in south-east

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. There he trained young men for entry to the civil service. Thomas's achievements as an educator and his devout

Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...

brought him to the attention of the post-

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government.

Assistant Protector

Thomas was one of four Assistant Protectors of Aborigines appointed by

Lord Glenelg Charles Grant, 1st Baron Glenelg PC FRS (26 October 1778 – 23 April 1866) was a Scottish politician and colonial administrator who served as Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Background and education Grant was born in Kidderpore, ...

, Colonial Secretary of State, in the Port Phillip district then part of the New South Wales colony. Under directions from

Sir George Grey Sir George Grey, KCB (14 April 1812 – 19 September 1898) was a British soldier, explorer, colonial administrator and writer. He served in a succession of governing positions: Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Go ...

, Thomas arrived in Sydney with his family on 3 August 1838. He was appointed a Justice of the Peace for the colony, having jurisdiction in both New South Wales and Victoria. He later served as a magistrate for

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

and its suburbs. As Assistant Protector, Thomas served under

George Augustus Robinson George Augustus Robinson (22 March 1791 – 18 October 1866) was a British-born colonial official and self-trained preacher in colonial Australia. In 1824, Robinson travelled to Hobart, Van Diemen’s Land, where he attempted to negotiate ...

, and was responsible for the Central Protectorate District Westernport regions that included the

Wurundjeri The Wurundjeri people are an Australian Aboriginal people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin nation. They are the Traditional Owners of the Birrarung (Yarra River) Valley, covering much of the present location of Narrm (Melbourn ...

(Yarra) and

Boon wurrung The Boonwurrung people are an Aboriginal people of the Kulin nation, who are the traditional owners of the land from the Werribee River to Wilsons Promontory in the Australian state of Victoria. Their territory includes part of what is now the c ...

(coastal Port Phillip and Westernport) peoples. During his tenure he learnt both the

Woiwurrung The Woiwurrung, also spelt Woi Wurrung, Woiwurrong, Woiworung, Wuywurung, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin alliance. The Woiwurrung people's territory in Central Victoria extended from north o ...

and

Boonwurrung language The Boonwurrung language, also anglicised as Bunurong, Bun wurrung, and other variant spellings, is an Aboriginal Australian language traditionally spoken by the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin nation of central Victoria prior to European s ...

, and translated Psalm 121, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and the first chapter of

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

into Boonwurrung. He was known by the people of his protectorate as "''Marminata''" (Good Father).

Guardian of the Aborigines

The Protectorate ended in 1849. Thomas stayed in government service with his appointment of Guardian of the Aborigines though arrangement with La Trobe for the counties of Bourke and Mornington and Evelyn. His influence and advocacy saw a later appointment as Adviser on Aboriginal Affairs which he held until a few months before his death on 1 December 1867.

Legacy

Thomas left an important written record that has attracted much scholarship. In the public record this material comprises official reports, letters and submissions to parliamentary enquiries. In addition, his private papers give "a rare insight into the process of cultural continuity and collapse, and the agency of Victorian Aboriginal leaders in social and economic interactions with settlers and colonial administrations in a time of great social upheaval".

Family

Thomas married Susannah Jackson, with her father Abraham Jackson as witness. William and Susannah Thomas had nine children, only 3 of which survived him.

References

* * * * * * * * * * *

Notes

External links

Dictionary of Australian Biography - Thomas, William (1793 - 1867)
Melbourne University Press * ttp://www.atmitchell.com/journeys/social/indigenous/robinson.cfm George Augustus Robinson, was a NSW Chief Protector of Aborigines in the early 1800s, George Augustus Robinsonbr>NSW State Library Protector of Aborigines Heritage Collection – the journals and papers of George Augustus Robinson (1791-1866)Public Record Office Victoria online catalogue "VPRS 2895 Chief Protector of Aborigines: Outward Letter Book 1848–1850 ... VPRS 4399 Duplicate Annual Reports for the Chief Protector of Aborigines 1845– ..."
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, William 1793 births 1867 deaths Settlers of Melbourne 19th-century Australian public servants