Thomas HOLT

HOLT, THOMAS (b. Horbury, Yorkshire England, 14 Nov 1811, d. Bexley, Kent England, 5 Sept 1888). Wool merchant pastoralist, politician, philanthropist.

Born of pious parents who chose to give him a liberal education and outlook rather than one confined to any particular religious denomination, Thomas Holt became a decided Christian early in his life. In his commercial pursuits as a partner of his father's wool firm, he travelled considerably on the Continent encountering many different creeds and walks of life, as well as becoming proficient in Spanish, German and French. He was m. on 20 March 1841 to Sophia Eulert, the daughter of a German merchant in Berlin. Noting the potential of the colony of NSW, particularly in the agricultural and pastoral industries Thomas Holt departed for NSW with his wife in July 1842.

For more than forty years he took a leading part in enterprises for the development of the natural wealth of the colony, in legislation, in the building of churches, in the promotion of education, in the establishment of institutions for the encouragement of provident habits and in other acts of beneficence. He was a founding director of the Sydney Fire Insurance Co (1844), the Sydney Railway Co (1849), the Australian Joint Stock Bank, and the Australian Mutual Provident Society (1848), established with the sole purpose of doing good, with the profits to be divided among widows, orphans and the aged and of which he was chairman in 1850-52, 1854-5, and 1858. He was also a founding director of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (1873-83).

In the first general election in NSW (1856), Holt was elected as the representative for Stanley Borough (Brisbane and Ipswich) and became Colonial Treasurer in the first government under responsible government on 6 June 1856. He was the member for Newtown in the fourth parliament (1861). In 1868 he was appointed to the Legislative Council where he served for 13 years. From 1873-6 as a member of the Council of Education he advocated education for all classes and supported state education. He returned to England in 1881 where he became involved in all kinds of institutions to ameliorate the conditions of the London poor, being convinced of the biblical imperative in this area. Holt's great desire was to bring the poor to the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Being a Congregationalist, a democratic religious organisation, probably accounted for Holt's independence, liberality of views and evangelical fervour. Along with other prominent Congregationalists, such as John Fairfax (q.v.) and David Jones (q.v.), he wielded influence in the press, business and politics as the result of strong convictions about the rights of the church and their schools to be independent. Holt argued, unsuccessfully, to have the business of parliament commenced each day with prayer. He worked to improve the flow of ordained agents to the colonies and was a founding father of Camden Theological College and school Finckh — his home at Newtown being its first site.

The Congregational churches of which he was a member experienced Holt's liberality and activism. He contributed substantially to the building of the churches at Newtown and Marrickville and served them as deacon and representative at the Congregational Union as well as being a personal support to the ministers.

'The spirit and practice of prayer he applied to everything ... his love for God and His righteousness, inspired him to a practical fulfilment of righteous principles' (Memorial Sermon of William Harrison, London 1889) and he left in Australia a family who were to carry on these principles.

H E Holt, An Energetic Colonist (Hawthorn, 1972); L W Farr and J Garrett, Camden College — a Centenary History (Camden College, Glebe, Sydney, 1964); G L Barnes, 'The English Origins of Congregationalism and its Beginnings in Australia', RTR, 37/2 1978; Uniting Church Archives, Sydney, NSW Independent 1876-88

CHRISTINE E MCCOMB