Thomas Edward Spencer

Thomas Edward Spencer (1845 – 1911) was an Australian writer. He was born at London on 30 December 1845. Spencer came to Australia when 18 years of age, but soon afterwards returned to England and worked at his trade of stone mason. At the age of 24 he was elected vice-president of the Stonemasons' Society of London, and had some experience in the settlement of industrial disputes. He went to Australia again in 1875 and became a successful builder and contractor.

He contributed verse and prose sketches to "The Bulletin" and other journals, and one set of verses "How McDougall topped the Score", included in the "Bulletin Reciter", published in 1901, became very popular. A collection of his work, "How McDougall Topped the Score and other Verses and Sketches", was published in 1906. This was followed by "Budgeree Ballads" in 1908, reprinted under the title "How Doherty Died" in 1910, and four volumes of prose humorous sketches, "The Surprising Adventures of Mrs Bridget McSweeney" (1906), "A Spring Cleaning and Other Stories" (1908), "The Haunted Shanty and other Stories" (1910), and "That Droll Lady" (1911). "Bindawalla: An Australian Story" (1912), is in a more serious vein.

During the last years of his life Spencer spent much of his time as an arbitrator in industrial disputes. Between 1907 and 1911 he presided over many wages boards, and his experience and sense of justice enabled him to do very valuable work. He died at Sydney on 6 May 1911, leaving a widow, three sons and two daughters.

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