Background
Thomas was born in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire in 1827, the son of Elizabeth (died at Upper Mitcham, South Australia 17 July 1875) and Isaac Caterer (died 17 March 1868), a schoolteacher who later became a Congregational minister.
Thomas was born in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire in 1827, the son of Elizabeth (died at Upper Mitcham, South Australia 17 July 1875) and Isaac Caterer (died 17 March 1868), a schoolteacher who later became a Congregational minister.
He was educated at Lewisham College and was for a time on the staff of Taunton College, Somersetshire before teaching under Professor Newth in Reading, Berkshire.
She followed Thomas to Adelaide in the barque "David Malcolm", arriving 30 April 1855. He taught at J. L. Young"s Adelaide Educational Institution then secured appointments as headmaster at Portuguese Adelaide 1857-1858, Glenelg 1858-1859, Auburn School 1860-1861 and Glen Osmond. He founded Beaumont Grammar School at his home "Greenhills" at Beaumont in 1862. which moved to Beulah Road, Norwood in April 1866, and renamed the Norwood Grammar School.
In 1883 he was assisting Harry P. Macklin (1856 – 2 August 1902) at the South. A. Commercial College on Osmond Terrace, Norwood then together in 1886 they founded the Semaphore Collegiate School in a building on Ward Street, Semaphore where the Review
James Coglin previously conducted a Church school. On Macklin"s death in 1902, he sold the school to John F. Hills and retired in 1904.
He was for two years (around 1880 – 1882) Mayor of Kensington and Norwood. T. Ainslie Caterer
He retired in 1921 and died two years later.
He is remembered there by the Caterer Memorial Scholarship.
Thomas"s younger brother, Frederick Isaac Caterer (ca1840 – ca 24 August 1892) was born in Peppard, Oxfordshire, and arrived in Adelaide around 1866. Foreign a time he worked for Thomas, but moved to Glenelg and founded the Glenelg Grammar School. on 1 October 1868. and Charles Rischbieth Jury. He ran the Sunday-school from 1872 to 1883.
He was reported missing on 22 August 1892 and was the subject of an extensive search.
He was found dead four days later, having committed suicide by taking poison. Thomas and Frederick had two sisters: Mercy Anne Caterer (1831 – 25 August 1908), who was married to Review
West. H. Mudie, and Jessie (died 1925), who never married.