Thomas Page was born 18 April 1844 in Clarendon Square, London, England, United Kingdom to James Page (1814-1877) and Susanna de la Force (1817-1898) and died 22 January 1926 58 Fry street, Grafton, New South Wales, Australia of unspecified causes. He married Matilda Smith (1845-1912) 1 March 1867 in Grafton, New South Wales, Australia.
Children
| Name | Birth | Death | Joined with |
| Godfrey Smith Page (1867-1912) | |||
| Henry Thomas Page (1869-1952) | |||
| Maude Clarence Page (1871-1933) | |||
| Ruth Charlotte Page (1873-1956) | |||
| Frederick Grafton Page (1876-1948) | |||
| Walter Leslie Page (1878-1943) | |||
| Mary Susannah Page (1880-1954) | |||
| Jessie Louisa Page (1882-1954) | |||
| Thomas Nickson Page (1884-1969) | 26 September 1884 Grafton, New South Wales, Australia | 22 April 1969 Grafton, New South Wales, Australia | Emily Hilda Gray (1885-1957) |
| Lyal David Page (1888-1949) | |||
Obituary
With the passing of Mr. Thomas Page, whose death occurred early on Saturday morning at his home in Fry street, at the ripe old age of 82, Grafton lost one of its finest citizens, one who gave the best years of his life to the city of his adoption.
A resident of Grafton for close upon 70 years, he was an active participant in its great development during his long sojourn here, and there are few persons who did more towards the advancement of the city and district than deceased. With the sole exception of sport there was not one avenue of the public life of the community with which he was not at some time or other prominently associated. Into the history of Grafton and the Clarence the life work of the late Mr. Page is interwoven for all time. Indeed, only at rare intervals is it possible to find a man so deeply and whole-heartedly and unselfishly imbued with such a sterling spirit of citizenship. Grafton is the richer for his residence here.
Born in London on April 8, 1844, he came out to New South Wales in 1858 with his father and family, Mr. James Page, who opened the first public school under the national system of education in Grafton that year. For a few years the subject of this notice attended the school, and at the age of 16 years assisted his father as a teacher in the school for two years. He was afterwards engaged in the stores of F. and A. Vindon and W. B. Campbell (Clarence River Stores) for two years. He then proceeded to Sydney and entered the office of a Manchester warehouse where he remained until July, 1865, when he returned to Grafton and took over a bookseller's business, which had been established by his father and which he carried on until 1876, when he sold out.
In 1874 in conjunction with his brother (Robert), who was later editor and manager of the "Richmond River Express," Casino, he founded the "Grafton Argus," which he edited up to 1876, when he sold out his interest with the intention of leaving Grafton.
In 1877 he established himself as a financial agent and accountant and in that year succeeded his father (Mr. James Page) as manager of the Grafton branch of the old Barrack street Savings Bank of New South Wales, which position he held until March, 1916, when he resigned after 40 years service. The bank was then conducted in the late Mr. Thomas Page's office in Prince street and was continued there until 1905. In that year the premises, which were afterwards occupied by Mr. G. McClymont, were taken over by the bank, which in 1912 erected the brick building in Prince street where the business of the bank was carried on. In 1914 the amalgamation of the Barrack street Bank with the Government Savings Bank was brought about and the subject of this notice continued in the service of the reorganised bank for a period of two years, when, as stated above, he retired.
Mr. Page, who had always taken a most active part in public matters, was elected an alderman of the Grafton Council in 1868 when only 24 years of age, and was at that time the youngest occupant of the post in New South Wales. He was elected to the Mayoral chair in 1875 for the first time and again had the distinction of being the youngest occupant of this office in the State. He again filled the office of Mayor in 1879 and 1881. Two years later he resigned as alderman and took the position of council clerk, of which his father was the first occupant in Grafton. Resigning that position he again entered the council as an alderman and remained there until 1893 and from that date was city treasurer until the passing of the Local Government Act in 1906, when the office was abolished.
During Mr. Page's term of office he instituted the planting of trees in Grafton streets, thus laying the foundation of the movement which has beautified the city and made Grafton the acknowledged Queen City of the North.
He was for over 10 years secretary of the Clarence Pastoral and Agricultural Society and afterwards filled the offices of hon. treasurer and president, and was for many years one of the trustees of the society.
He was associated with the management of the Grafton District Hospital for nearly 40 years, as a member of the committee, hon. secretary, hon. treasurer, and trustee. It is interesting to note that his father (Mr. James Page) was secretary of the institution when the foundation stone was laid on December 10, 1862, by the Hon. Charles Kemp, M.L.C.
The subject of this notice was sworn in as an honorary Justice of the Peace for the State in 1881 and was the senior justice in the district. He was appointed a member of the Grafton District Schools Board in 1879 and was chairman of that board for a great many years. He was Deputy Sheriff from 1876 to 1881. He was the enumerator appointed for collecting the census for the Grafton district in the years 1891 and 1901. He was first elected one of the trustees of the Grafton Common in 1889, and was the oldest trustee and chairman of the Trust. He was a member of the Local Land Board for the Grafton district from 1886 to 1895. He was appointed returning officer for the State Parliamentary elections in 1893, and conducted three State elections. He was also the returning officer who took the two referendum votes on the question of federation, and the first Federal returning officer for Cowper electorate after federation, and conducted the first election for Cowper in 1901.
He was also president of the Grafton Chamber of Commerce, Grafton District Schools Parent and Citizens' Association, and the Clarence auxiliary of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and hon. secretary of the Grafton branch of the Prisoners' Aid Association of New South Wales.
He was a local member of the Old Age Pensions Board from the date of the passing of the Act in 1901 up to the time these boards were superseded by the passing of the Federal Old Age Pensions Act.
He was a member of the Invalidity and Accident Pension Board for Grafton and was also senior trustee, and secretary and treasurer of the Grafton Methodist Church property and trustee and chairman for the Methodist and undenominational cemeteries.
Deceased was one of the founders of the Loyal Star of the East Lodge, Manchester Unity Oddfellows, which was opened by dispensation granted in England on January 6, 1863. It required seven members to open the lodge and the remaining six comprised Richard Stevenson (proprietor of. the "Examiner"), Thomas Bawden, B. Pixey (postmaster), Frederick Morrow, Spencer Cottee, and James Ring. Of the seven, Bro. Morrow is now the only one living. Other early members were George Burgess, James Drew and J. G. Jackschon, the last-named who is still alive and residing in Sydney, took up the secretaryship on the retirement of Bro. Pixey. As the young lodge began to grow, Bro. Page retired from active participation in its working, but in the early part of this century, when the agitation was commenced for local autonomy in the order, he again became an active worker and by his counsel and advice largely assisted in the creation of the Clarence River District Lodge in 1903, the first institution of its kind north of Newcastle. He was elected the first Grand Master of the new district, and it was largely due to his foresight and knowledge of finance that the district was established on a firm foundation from the start. Although not an active worker [i]n the lodge he was ever ready to render assistance and advice, and in this way he exercised an unseen force which was very much appreciated.
He was a very old Freemason, having been initiated in 1867 and several times occupied the position of W.M. of the first Masonic Lodge in Grafton, Palmerston (English constitution). He was also a P.M. of Prince Leopold Lodge.
The subject of this notice was an indefatigable advocate for railway extension from Grafton to the tablelands, Grafton to the Tweed and the North Coast line, and represented the Grafton Chamber of Commerce at the conference held at Kempsey in 1901, which resulted in the North Coast line being submitted by the then Premier (Sir John See) and the Minister for Works (Mr. E. W. O'Sullivan) to Parliament, and its subsequent reference to the Public Works Committee for report, which was favorable, and resulted in the line being constructed.
He was the hon treasurer of the Citizens Committee which conducted the Municipal Jubilee celebrations in 1909.
Mr. Page was married in 1867 to the daughter of Mr. H. T. Smith, of Willoughby, North Shore, and the family consisted of six sons and four daughters, all of whom with the exception of one son (Godfrey) are living. The sons are Henry Thomas (Sydney), Frederick Grafton (England), Walter Leslie and Lyle David (Wellington, N.Z.), and Thomas Nixon (Grafton). The daughters are Mesdames H. Breakell (Sydney), C. Paine (Grafton), C. A. Gordon (Grafton), and W. L. Leonard (Grafton). Mr. Page was predeceased by his wife 14 years ago.
Mrs. A. Eggins, of Grafton, is a sister of deceased, while Dr. Page, Federal Treasurer, and Mr. Maund Page, of Grafton, are nephews.
Footnotes (including sources)
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