Thomas Power

Thomas Power was born in 1843 in Dundrum, Tipperary, Ireland. He was the son of John Power, who was born around 1798 in County Waterford, emigrated from Tipperary to Australia in 1858 per 'Annie Wilson' and died at Barwo (Nathalia), Victoria, Australia in 1885. Thomas' mother was Johanna Tate, who had been born at Dundrum around 1805 and died there in 1851.

Thomas arrived in Melbourne, Australia in 1863 aboard the ship "Forest Rights". He worked as a miner in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and was  an early resident of Horsham, Victoria. There, he worked as a 'contractor and builder' and founded the Horsham Brass Band in 1874, before beginning a career in journalism at Stawell in that year.

He went on to have a highly successful career - he was the first reporter to reach Glenrowan when the Kelly Gang was captured - and became the Sporting Editor of 'The Sydney Morning Herald' and 'The Mail' in Sydney, writing under the name of 'Galtee More', particularly on turf racing.

He was handy with his hands and, in 1894, invented a prototype starting machine that attracted favourable attention at a time when horse racing was beginning to look for such a device.

Thomas had married Jessie Marshall in Victoria sometime around 1882. Thomas and Jessie had three children - Alice Lillian Dora (1882-1961), Sydney Thomas (1888-1889) and Clarence Oscar (1890-1969). Jessie died in 1902 and, twelve years later in Sydney, Thomas married Jessie McKenzie Rose, who already had a daughter, Cissie.

After thirty-six years at 'The Sydney Morning Herald', Thomas retired from journalism in 1919. He died at his Coogee home on 2nd July 1929 at the age of 86 and is buried at Rookwood Crematorium.