History of Thomas Holt Villages

THOMAS HOLT M.L.C.

Thomas Holt was born at Horbury in Yorkshire on November 4th 1811, the son of a wealthy wool merchant. As a school student he was described as being of outstanding character and scholastic talent. Going into partnership with his father some years later, he virtually took over the management of the firm.

Thomas married Miss. Sophia Eubert of Berlin in 1841, and then sailed for Australia, arriving in Sydney in November 1842. In Sydney he made his home at "Camden Villa", a large sandstone building set amidst attractive grounds of about nine acres in the suburban area of Cook's River.

He became involved in politics. In April 1856 he was elected to the Legislative Council for Stanley Boroughs (now Brisbane and Ipswich, Qld.) and finally became the first colonial treasurer in the first parliament established under responsible government.

Mr. Holt was amongst the founders of the Australian Mutual Provident Society ("A.M.P."), which had its inaugural meeting early in 1848.

THE SUTHERLAND ESTATE

Having acquired some 12,000 acres in the present day Sutherland Shire, Mr. Holt entailed the estate after the building of "Sutherland House", intending that it should pass to the eldest male issue in perpetuity.

Mr. Holt was a great admirer of Captain Cook and had striven to persuade the State Government to commemorate the centenary of Cook's historic landing but had no success. Mr. Holt however, was determined to mark the centenary, and so he, at his own expense erected the slim and graceful "Captain Cook Obelisk" overlooking the Kurnell beach where the landing took place.

After the end of the Holt regime, "Sutherland House" was for a period a guest house, changing hands several times in the succeeding years. A fire destroyed "Sutherland House" on December 17th 1918.