Thomas Price (South Australian politician)

Australian politician

Thomas Price (19 January 1852 – 31 May 1909) served as the South Australian United Labor Party's first Premier of South Australia. He formed a minority government at the 1905 election and was re elected with increased representation at the 1906 election, serving in the premiership until his death in 1909. It was the world's first stable Labor government. Shortly afterwards, John Verran led Labor to form the state's first of many majority governments at the 1910 election. Achievements of the Price government included free state secondary schools, the formation of wages boards and a minimum wage, establishing the Municipal Tramways Trust through nationalisation, the costly administration of the Northern Territory was surrendered to the Federal government, and reform (though limited) of the upper house. The government also attained successive budget surpluses and reduced the accumulated public debt.

Tom Price was born in Brymbo, Denbighshire, Wales in 1852 to John and Jane Price. His family moved to Liverpool in 1853 where Tom grew up. Tom Price emigrated to South Australia with his family in 1883.

Price suffered from diabetes but died from tuberculosis of the throat or lungs at Mount Lofty on 31 May 1909. He was given a State funeral and buried at Mitcham Cemetery. An island of the Whidby Group off the south west coast of Eyre Peninsula had been left unnamed after Matthew Flinders' early explorations. It was named Price Island by the Government of South Australia in his honour. A guiding light for mariners was also erected on the island. In 2015 a biography of Thomas Price was published and the book launch was attended by South Australian politicians from both sides of politics.

Price married Anne Elizabeth Lloyd (c.1860 – 1 September 1950) on 14 April 1881 at St David's Welsh Church of England in Liverpool. She was a member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union for many years. She considered her duties as a JP an important priviledge. Annie Mary "Ann" Price (1890–1985), married Ernest A. Pengelley in 1914 in Brisbane. Ada Olive "Olive" Price (1891 1952) married Horace Wicks in 1915. Florence Gwendoline "Flo" Price (1894–1957) married Alfred Charles Clarke in 1920. Tom Price was an active Methodist and Freemason.