Dictionary of National Biography, 1912 supplement/Price, Thomas
PRICE, THOMAS (1852–1909), premier of South Australia, born at Brymbo near Wrexham, North Wales, on 19 Jan. 1852, was son of John Price by his wife Jane. Spending his childhood in Liverpool, he was educated at a penny school there, and then followed the trade of stonecutter, taking an interest in public matters and adopting the temperance cause as an ardent Rechabite. Ordered to Australia for his health in 1883, he landed at Adelaide at a time when there was much difficiilty in getting employment. He was temporarily employed as clerk of works at the government locomotive shops at Islington. Returning to his old calling of stonecutter, he long worked on the new parliament buildings at Adelaide, then in course of erection, in which he afterwards sat as premier. In 1891 he became secretary of the Masons' and Bricklayers' Society in South Austraha, and in 1893 he entered the House of Assembly of the colony as member for Starb in the labour interest. That constituency he represented until 1902, when he was elected for the re-formed district of Torrens. Of the labour party he became secretary in 1900 and parliamentary leader in 1901. In July 1905 he was chosen premier of South Australia, combining with it the duties of commissioner of public works and minister of education, and being the first labour premier of an Australian state, though the commonwealth had for four months in 1904 had a labour prime minister in Mr. Watson. Price held the office of premier until his death, nearly four years later. His cabinet was a coalition of liberal and labour members, and his capacity for leadership held it well together. Price was a man of the most kindly character: he had a strong sense of humour and an abundance of rugged eloquence. He was one of the few parliamentary speakers who are known to have changed votes and decided the fate of a measure by power of speech. During his premiership he was responsible for Acts relating to wages boards, municipalisation of the tramway system, which had previously been in the hands of seven companies, reduction of the franchise for the upper house, and the transfer of the northern territory to the commonwealth. The transfer of the territory, however, did not take place in his lifetime, as the commonwealth parliament only passed the necessary legislation for the purpose in the session of 1910. He died at the height of his popularity at his house at Hawthorn, near Adelaide, on 31 May 1909, and was buried in the West Terrace cemetery at Adelaide. He married on 14 April 1881 Anne Elizabeth, daughter of Edward Lloyd, timber merchant, of Liverpool, and had issue four sons and three daughters. A portrait in oils, painted by Mr. Johnstone, was presented to the Walker Art Gallery at Liverpool in 1908; a replica is in the Adelaide Art Gallery.
[Johns's Notable Australians; The Times, 1 June 1909; private sources.]