Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Early Life

Thomas Ashhurst was born 5th December, 1898 in Bridgewater in the Adelaide Hills to Thomas Ashhurst Senior and Nina (Christina) Henschke. He had 7 siblings, an older brother John and six sisters.

He completed his early schooling at Bridgewater Public School and then completed his Junior Public Examinations at Mount Barker District High School and then passed his Senior and Higher Public Examinations at Adelaide High School. Thomas joined the Education Department and was posted to Goodwood Primary School. In January 1917 he gained a promotion from 3rd to 4th Grade Junior Teacher. At the same time he was also enrolled in the Arts Faculty at Adelaide University to gain further teaching qualifications. Studying privately, Thomas also passed the Senior Public Chemistry Examination.

War Service

His teaching career was put on hold when in April 1918 he volunteered for service in WW1. The motivation for his enlistment may have been that his older brother John (21 years) had served, but had been killed at Ypres, Belgium in July 1917. In Adelaide John had played football for North Adelaide and had worked for the Druggist and Chemist Manufacturing firm, F H Faulding & Co.

Twenty year old, Private Ashhurst after undergoing training in Australia, embarked for Europe in August 1918 and was assigned to the 9th Infantry Battalion, stationed at Fovant Camp, Wiltshire, England. After recovering from a period of sickness at Hurdcott Training Camp Hospital, he was transferred to the artillery as a gunner. In January 1919 (after the Armistice 11/11/18) he was transferred to Abancourt France. A month later he was moved to his final posting with the Australian Veterinary Corps Hospital at Calais from where he was repatriated (via the port of Le Havre) to Australia on the ship Port Denison. He arrived home in May 1919 and was discharged in August.

To have lost one son in the Great War, Thomas's parents would have been greatly relieved that the War had ended before their son was sent to France.

After the War

On his return to Adelaide, Thomas re-enrolled at the University, this time to study for a science degree. At the same time, he had also approached Luther Scammell, the managing director of Faulding, to enquire if he could take over his late brother's job. Obviously recognising Thomas's underlying motivation to change from a promising career in teaching to chemistry, he was offered a position in the Faulding laboratories by Mr Scammell. He would work there part-time and during vacations and he ably combined this with his University studies for the next three years. From 1919 - 1921 Thomas produced outstanding results progressing towards his science degree, finishing with first class results (equal top) in the third year Chemistry subjects.

In addition to his studies, Thomas was a keen sportsman, having played cricket, football and tennis while growing up in Bridgewater and for Adelaide High School. At University he continued these interests and played B Grade football, tennis (Captain of Metropolitan Association Team) for the Blacks and rowed bow for the "Junior Engineering" crew.

His outstanding work ethic, academic record, participation in sport, recent War service and other voluntary community and committee involvements made him an outstanding nomination for the 1922 Rhodes Scholarship for which he was deservedly selected.

The 1922 Rhodes Scholar, after attending farewell functions put on by the Bridgewater community and the Adelaide University Football Club, departed in August 1922 on the ship RMS Orvieto bound for England and Magdalen College, Oxford. There he would Read Honours Science in the School of Chemistry. At Oxford, Thomas continued his participation in sporting activities and played rugby and competed in athletics competitions (running).

Prior to his departure to Oxford, Thomas announced his engagement to Kathleen McKechnie of Henley Beach.

In 1924, after graduating from Oxford with a B.Sc. (Honours in Chemistry) he secured employment with Burt, Boulton and Haywood Ltd., timber merchants, creosoters, tar distillers, and paint manufacturers. During the War they had also become heavily involved with the manufacturer of dyes because the prime source of supply for the English textile industry previously had been from Germany. They were a very large company and had operations in Europe, Canada and the United State and businesses ambitions to expand throughout the Commonwealth. In 1926 Thomas was sent back to Australia to set up a factory in Sydney. He must have been an impressive employee to be given such a responsibility after only such a short time with the firm.

Back in Australia

Prior to returning home, he married Kathleen on the 4th November 1925 at Greenwich, London. Settling back in Australia, the young couple settled at Five Dock, a suburb of Sydney on the Parramatta River not far from Balmain where in 1926, Burt, Boulton and Haywood set up their Australian factory. Thomas Ashhurst was appointed the General Manager and as a Director on the company board.

Under his management, the company grew to become a huge, diversified business expanding into the manufacture of industrial chemicals and medicinal preparations, building materials and engineering and construction. They won tenders for building bridges and hydro-electric power stations. Thomas remained at the company for the rest of his working life.

Thomas and Kathleen lived at Five Dock in their house named "Cherwell" named after the region in Oxfordshire which obviously reflected his fond memories of the place near Oxford University. The family suffered an early tragedy in 1931 with their first born son, Thomas Lawson Ashhurst, dying at home as an infant of only four months. They would go on and raise another two sons and a daughter. Thomas and Kathleen would remain at the family home for all their whole lives.

Both Thomas and Kathleen were keen golfers and played regularly at the nearby Concord Golf Club. They would often team up in the mixed foursome competitions and Thomas would play in the regular Concord weekend competitions and annual A.I.F. golf tournaments. A left hander he participated in one tournament restricted to "southpaws". He must have been a reasonable golfer shooting 79 "of the stick" for a net 65 (14 handicap). He finished in second place to famed Australian Rugby League player and coach, Ray Norman. Although shooting the same score, Norman won because he had a two shot higher handicap.

Thomas passed away at the age 67 in 1966, so unfortunately did not have a long retirement and further time on the golf course. Kathleen lived a further 20 years, dying at the age of 88 in 1986. She remained living at "Cherwell" for the majority of those years.

Profile added with the permission of the author Rob O'Shannassy.

For the complete profile including photographs, newspaper articles, documents and sources prepared for the AUFC/AUCC WWI Memorial Project please see the document attached.