TOLMIE, WILLIAM ALEXANDER (1833-75) was born in England. He arrived in Victoria towards the end of 1852, travelled for a few months and at the age of 20 entered the service of the Union Bank of Australia at Melbourne. In 1859 he was appointed manager of the Colonial Bank of Australasia at Geelong, a position he held until the end of 1864, when he came to Dunedin to become a partner in the firm of Dalgety, Rattray and Co. On the expiration of the partnership he relinquished business life and took up stockbreeding on his property at Waiwera. Paying attention first to merinos, he introduced the best strains of sheep from Australia and Tasmania, and soon established a reputation, his sheep being unbeaten at the shows of Otago and Canterbury. With longwoolled sheep he had equal success, establishing stud flocks of Leicesters, Lincolns and Romney Marsh sheep at Clinton and Waipahi. In 1871 Tolmie was deputy-superintendent of the province and next year he entered Otago politics as member of the Provincial Council for Peninsula. A few months later he was provincial secretary for lands and leader of the executive which replaced Reid's administration. His colleagues were Turnbull, McDermid and McArthur. Early in 1873 he retired from the executive, his place being taken by Dr Webster. Meanwhile, in Aug 1872, he was elected to represent Caversham in Parliament and he held the seat until his death (on 8 Aug 1875). Tolmie shrank from public life. He had no disposition for party politics and had a definite distaste for the acerbities of political debate.

Otago P.C. Proc.; Ross; Otago Daily Times, 30 Aug 1875. Portrait: Parliament House.

Reference: Volume 2, page 198

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