Mary Thomas

Who was Mary Thomas?

Mary Thomas née Harris was a diarist, poet and early settler of South Australia.

She accompanied her husband, newspaper proprietor Robert Thomas to South Australia on the Africaine and arrived at Holdfast Bay in November 1836. The family wanted to “obtain a competence” in South Australia, but expected they “must go to England to enjoy it.” He printed Governor John Hindmarsh's proclamation of the colony, which occurred under the Old Gum Tree on 28 December 1836.

Already a published poet at the time of her arrival in South Australia, she was a prolific letter writer and kept a diary which was first published in 1915 as The Diary and Letters of Mary Thomas. This gave a detailed account of her voyage on the Africaine as well as an insight into early colonial life.

She died at her house in Adelaide on 10 February 1875, leaving two sons and two daughters.