Biographical entry Brunton, Thomas (1831 - 1908)

Summary

Thomas Brunton was one of the first flour mill owners in Australia to install grooved iron rollers in 1884.

Details

Born near Roxburgh, Scotland, 25 June 1831. Died Ascot Vale, 7 September 1908. Arrived Melbourne 1853; unsuccessful on goldfields; Melbourne Gas Works for a year; bought a bakery; built a flour-milling plant 1868; visited overseas flour-milling centres 1882 and came back with plans for a new roller mill; helped to found the Corn Trade Association 1884 and was its president 1886; opened a Sydney mill 1887, run mainly by his sons; sold the Melbourne mill 1893 and established the Australian Flour Mills in North Melbourne; bought Roxburgh Park, near Broadmeadows 1903, where he bred cattle, horses and Shropshire sheep. President, Royal Agricultural Society 1895; Harbor Trust commissioner 1890-98. Member for Southern Province, Legislative Council 1890-1904.

Published resources

Book Sections

• Hone, J. Ann, 'Brunton, Thomas (1831-1908), mill-owner', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 3, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1969, p. 280. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A030259b.htm. Details

Online Resources

• National Library of Australia, 'Brunton, Thomas', Trove, National Library of Australia and the Australian National Maritime Museum Darling Harbour, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1463148. Details

See also

• Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Technology in Australia 1788-1988, Online edn, Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre, Melbourne, 3 May 2000, http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/tia/scripts/tia-dynindex.php3?EID=P003400. Details