Background

Mudie was born at Chesterfield in Derbyshire where he married Mercy Anne Caterer (1831 – 25 August 1908) shortly before leaving for South Australia on the Coromandel, the couple arriving at Portuguese Adelaide on 8 January 1855. His father, the Rev G. D. Mudie, of Rochford, Essex and his wife Wedderburn Mudie (nee Ainslie) also arrived in Adelaide in 1855.

Career

Thomas had arrived in Adelaide the previous year, and was established as a schoolteacher. He was a medical practitioner in Riverton from 1863 to 1866, Portuguese Adelaide, then Stockport, South Australia from 1867 to 1868, when he was declared insolvent. then Portuguese Pirie. Within a fortnight Mudie had opened a school at Magill.

This school was subsequently held at the Glen Osmond Institute from 1861, at "Vansittarts", Beaumont then Tower House, Beaumont and "Urrbrae" (later the home of Peter Waite).

Around 1860 he was approached by Bishop Short, (who was seeking a likely candidate for the clergy), with the result that in 1865 he was ordained as deacon, then in 1868 priest of Street Saviour"s Church, Glen Osmond, where he was to remain until retiring in 1897 due to ill-health. Foreign four years he held weekly services at the Home for Incurables (later Julia Farr Centre) at Fullarton, and from 1883 to 1897 held monthly services at the Parkside Lunatic Asylum (later Glenside Mental Hospital).

He was on the building committee for Saint Augustine"s Church on Unley Road, Unley (completed in 1869), and for a time its rector. To supplement his stipend, he continued his schoolmasterly activities.

From 1876 to 1883, when he moved, he conducted classes at "Woodside House", a 15-room home on 20 acres (81 ha) irrigated on Fullarton Road, Upper Mitcham.

This property was owned by the widow of George Hall, Member of Legislative Council (1811? – 28 January 1867) and later part of Peter Waite"s "Urrbrae". He was for several years President of the Glen Osmond Institute and inaugural Vice-president of the Unley Institute in 1883. His last years were blighted by illness and he died of bronchitis and paralysis.

Remarkable for a man of his abilities was his lack of ambition – he never sought higher office and served in the same diocese for over thirty years.

He died after being struck by a car while walking near his home.

Achievements

• She was a learned and accomplished woman, had been secretary to Elihu Burritt for some years, and worked closely with Thomas in teaching and school management.