Notable South Australians/Robert George Thomas
Robert George Thomas
BORN in 1820; died at Unley, April 14, 1884. Eldest son of the late Mr. Robert Thomas, of the Register, and also elder brother of the late Mr. William Kyffin Thomas. On May 1, 1836, he left England in the "Rapid," which had on board Colonel Light and Mr. George Kingston. The Colonel had just been appointed Surveyor-General for the new colony of South Australia, and Mr. Kingston was the second in command. They took out a staff of surveyors and draftsmen, and Mr. Thomas was one of those engaged for some years in surveys of Adelaide and the Port, and he was the draftsman of the original plan of the City. After remaining in Adelaide for some time, he returned to England and completed his education as civil engineer and architect. He became a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, and was an active member of that institution. He practised his profession in Newport, Monmouthshire, and was architect of churches and buildings of considerable note. He was a great admirer of the Gothic style of architecture, and port still contains some of the best examples of his work. There are others in Adelaide—Stow Church, the Flinders street Baptist Church, the Kegister Chambers, and manyothers. While in Wales, Mr. Thomas designed." and superintended the erection of the Gothic entrance to, and the Mortuary Chapels in, the Cardiff Cemetery. He returned to the colony in 1860, and practised his profession on his own account. In November, 1864, he received the first prize oflfered by the City Council for the best essays and designs having reference to a drainage and sewerage system for Adelaide. In July, 1866, Mr Thomas was appointed Assistant Architect under the Government, second to Mr. W. Hanson, then head of the department as Engineer and Architect. Soon after this, there was a re-arrangement of the office, and Mr. Thomas took the chief position of Architect. Retrenchment having been forced upon the Government, in December, 1870, the office was abolished, and Mr. Thomas left the Service. Whilst engaged as Government Architect he designed the Supreme Court Buildings, the Magill Orphanage, the Sailors' Home at Port Adelaide, and the Parkside Lunatic Asylum, superintending their erection, as well as that of the General Post Office. Mr. Thomas had to modify the plans prepared by Messrs. Wright, Woods & Hamilton, as the Government, after the building had been commenced, discovered that they could not afford to run it up to the altitude which the designer intended. After leaving the GU)vernment service he. resumed private practice, and carried out various buildings, amongst which was the Institute at Port Adelaide. Apart from his artistic profession, he was an amateur artist of ability, his taste .being directed to watercolour painting. His sketches from nature were characterized by clearness of detail and boldness of execution, but he simply painted for amusement or his productions might have been better known. In 1873 the Hpalth Act was passed, and on January 7, 1874, he began his duties of Secretary to the Central Board of Health. That position he held till the time of his death, which came not unexpectedly, as he had been seriously ill for weeks. He took his place in the first rank of his profession; in private life he was much esteemed; and his active efforts as an officer of the Unley Anglican Church received a deserved recognition.