Biographical entry Elder, Thomas (1818 - 1897)

Summary

(Sir) Thomas Elder imported and bred camels to use as transport in outback Australia. A hundred of them were used in building the overland telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin in 1872 and he also lent camels and drivers to expeditions of discovery.

Archival resources

State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana

• Correspondence re a proposed Antarctic expedition, 1890 - 1897, D 7520(L); State Library of South Australia, Mortlock Library of South Australiana. Details

Published resources

Book Sections

• Gosse, Fayette, 'Elder, William (1804-1882), Alexander Lang (1815-1885), George (1816-1897), businessmen and Sir Thomas (1818-1897), businessman, pastoralist and public benefactor', in Douglas Pike (ed.), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 4, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 1972, pp. 133-134. Also available at http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A040135b.htm. Details

Online Resources

• 'Elder, Thomas (18180805-18970306)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, http://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1005152. 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/index_e.html. Details