Thomas Smale

Thomas, son of Thomas and Grace (née Sapling) Smale, was born in 1823
at North Tamerton in Devon. He married Eliza Samals on 29 February 1844 at North Tamerton. They had the following children:
Ann — born on 19 April 1844 at North Tamerton, died the next day
Mary Ann — born on 3 March 1845 at East Stonehouse in Devon, married Ambrose Willcock Walter on 6 March 1862 at Barrabool Hills, died on 29 October 1918 at 44 Buckland Avenue in Newtown, buried at Noradjuha Cemetery

Thomas and Eliza arrived on the Clara at Portland on 19 November 1854. After arriving at Barrabool Thomas became a member of the Bible Christian Church at Mount Moriac.

He was a member of the Barrabool District Road Board in 1860 and 1865 and a Barrabool Shire councillor from 1865 until 1871. He was the honorary secretary pro tem of the Agricultural and Horticultural Society. In 1869 he was appointed as a magistrate for the Geelong and Hamilton General Sessions district. In 1871 he unsuccessfully stood as the candidate for South Grant in the Legislative Assembly election.

He successfully farmed land in the Barrabool Hills, 22 acres of which he leased from John Heard in west side of section 4 and a larger portion which adjoined this land in section 3 (Devon Road) which he owned, called Edgecombe Farm.

Thomas died on 24 May 1883 aged 60 years and was buried in the Methodist section of the Highton Cemetery. His wife, Eliza, died on 18 November 1898 aged 74 at her home, 27 Little Myers Street, Geelong and was also buried at Highton Cemetery. An interest in the farm was left to Thomas and Eliza's only daughter, Mary Ann, who married Ambrose Willcock Walter on 6 March 1862. On her death on 29 October 1919 her estate was divided among her children — Ellis Vincent Walter, Albert William Walter, Thomas Ernest Walter, Ambrose Edward Walter, Sidney Arthur Walter, Bertha Alinda Fowler, Hettie Evelina Nitschke, Phenie Gertrude Cranage, Frederick Joseph Walter and Norman Edgar Walter.​

from Geelong Advertiser 25 May 1883

Approximate location of the land Thomas Smale farmed between Devon and Ballanclea Roads at Barrabool

from Geelong Advertiser 7 April 1870

from Geelong Advertiser 25 November 1873

from Geelong Advertiser 26 March 1872