Death of Sir Thomas Elder

Sir Thomas Elder died of influenza at noon on Saturday March 6th at his Mt Lofty home The Pinnacles, aged 78.

Sir Thomas Elder’s body was taken from The Pinnacles down to Birksgate. The cortege which left Birksgate at 3 o’clock on the Monday afternoon for the Mitcham cemetery was of great length. The service at the grave was conducted by the Reverend W. Clampett.

The large crowd which accompanied the coffin included “representative pastoralists and mining men, leading lights of the University, prominent merchants and business men, and those connected with “the turf.”

The chief mourners were Mr Robert Barr Smith, Tom Barr Smith, Mr O’Halloran Giles (nephew), the Hon. J.L. Stirling M.L.C., and Dr Perks, the medical attendant. The employees rode in the remaining mourning coaches.

The University was represented by the Chancellor, the Right Honourable Samuel Way, the Vice Chancellor Dr Barlow, Professors Rennie and Tate, the Rev. Dr Paton, Messrs J,J, Stuckey, and Mr G.R. Hodge, Registrar. The students present were Messrs Clarke, J. Way, W. Goss, W. Gray, Paton and Lewis.

Sir Thomas Elder’s grave stands at the top of the slope in the old section of the Mitcham Anglican Cemetery. It is by far the tallest and most imposing grave on the hill, the magnificence white ornate Celtic cross surrounded by green iron railing looks over to the south the more modest grave plot of Robert and Joanna Barr Smith and their family. Further down the hill stands the impressive grave of Elder’s life-long friend and business partner, Peter Waite. All three graves bear the Celtic cross of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, the friends united in faith and in death.

His estate was sworn at £615,573 and outside South Australia it probably amounted to an addditional £200,000.