Dugald Thomson

The Honourable Dugald Thomson
Member of the Australian Parliament for North Sydney
In office 29 March 1901 – 19 February 1910
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	George Edwards
Personal details
Born	28 December 1849 Camberwell, London
Died	27 November 1922 (aged 72) Kirribilli, Sydney
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Free Trade (1901–06) Anti-Socialist (1906–09) Liberal (1909–10)
Occupation	Businessman

Dugald Thomson (28 December 1849 – 27 November 1922) was an Australian politician.

Thomson was born in Camberwell, London in 1849 and his family migrated to South Australia in 1850 and later moved to Victoria. He completed his education in England and spent some time in his uncle's Liverpool business. After spending two years as a sailor, he returned to Melbourne when he was 19. In 1877, he established the Sydney branch of the merchant firm Robert Harper & Co., which he managed until 1892, when he was forced to retire due to injury.^[1][2]

Political career

Thomson won the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Warringah in 1894 and supported the Free Trade ministry of George Reid, although he opposed its legislation on workplace conditions, made necessary by its dependence on Labor Party support.^[1]

Thomson was a supporter of federation and won the House of Representatives seat of North Sydney at the 1901 election and held it to his retirement prior to the 1910 election. He was Minister for Home Affairs from 1904 to 1905 in the Reid Ministry. During his period in parliament he spoke often on maritime matters.^[1]

Thomson died in the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli, unmarried.^[1]

Notes

1. Marsh, Ian (1990). "Thomson, Dugald (1849–1922)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra: Australian National University. Retrieved 7 December 2007.
2. "Mr Dugald Thomson (1848–1922)". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 February 2010.