Thomas Fulton

Background

Fulton was born at Dundee, Scotland to a wrought-iron worker, Thomas Fulton (d1866), and Isabella, née Wheelwright.

Education

He was apprenticed to a machine-maker but migrated in February 1842 to Portuguese Phillip in partnership with Robert Langlands, whose brothers George and Henry had previously come to the colony to start a metal works.

Career

He established one of the earliest foundries and engineering works in Melbourne in 1842 with Robert Langlands and laid the basis for the metal industry in the colony of Victoria. Langlands and Fulton established their iron foundry in Flinders Streetwith in 1842 with only a small foot-lathe, but were still able to erect a steam engine for the first flour mill in Melbourne. They produced rack woolpresses for squatters with Fulton having to cut screws threads by hand because their lathe was too small.

Fulton developed a technique for boiling down sheep for tallow around in 1843-1844 when squatters slaughtered their otherwise worthless sheep in the thousands due to a rural depression.

The gold rush proved a boon and the firm increased output of plumbing and smithy work and dray wheels. They were also milling flour and operating as a licensed insurance agent and merchant.

Fulton was evidently well liked by his workers who presented him with a silver server in 1858. He became a Melbourne city councillor in 1854-1859 and a magistrate and was a strong advocate for temperance, for separation of the colony from New South Wales and abolition of convict transportation.

He was a popular speaker with a "homely and racy eloquence", but while he stood for parliament he was defeated.

Garryowen described him as..the sort of man for an infant settlement. Skilful, and industrious, strong of mind, iron in frame, outspoken, and honest to the backbone. Fulton died on 18 February 1859 when he fell down a Bendigo mine-shaft while checking one of his machinery installations.

His headstone was erected by his employees.

Robert continued to operate the foundry.

Achievements

• Fulton and Smith won a prize at the Melbourne Exhibition in 1854 for their flour, which was produced on machinery they built for the Campbellfield Steam Mills, for which they also a medal at the exhibition.). He was also a founder of a land syndicate that invested in the Malvern and Gardiner areas.

Connections

Partner:

George Annand