Family background
Thomas Day was born in 1841 in Whitby, England, the son of Thomas Day and Elizabeth Hebron. Thomas Day senior was a ship chandler and sail maker and his son also took up the sail making trade. The family lived at Hartlepool, a seaside port town in Durham. He married Esther Ann Fowls in 1863 and the pair had a daughter, Mary, in England.
Day arrived in Sydney from the port of Liverpool on 27 June 1865 aboard the Mataura. Thomas and Esther had a son, Henry Thomas Day, at Redfern in 1875.
Day died on 3 May 1913, aged 72 years, from a brain haemorrhage at his home, ‘Kenilworth’, in Summer Hill. His death was reported in the Methodist, Day having been a member of the Summer Hill Methodist Church. His funeral was attended by a large number of employees of his firm as well as many others, representing city businesses.
Occupation & interests
Thomas Day was a sail maker, like his father, while still in England. After his arrival in Sydney, he opened a small scale boot factory in Regent Street, Redfern in 1872. Ten years later he built a large factory in Edward Street, Redfern. Several years after that he established the Austral Boot Factory in Federation Road, Newtown.
In about 1902 he took his son, Henry, into partnership with him. He was a member of the Boot, Shoe and Slipper Manufacturers’ Association for many years, being treasurer of the Association at the time of his death. His firm was one of many in Sydney to lock out their employees in response to the Boot Trade Union members strike in May 1894.
Community activity
According to various death notices, Thomas Day was widely known for his benevolence, giving liberally to charity and to the Methodist Church in particular. He was also a keen, and prominent, bowler. Members of the NSW Bowling Association attended his funeral.
Local government service
In July 1884, Thomas Day was elected alderman for the Golden Grove Ward, Redfern Council, to fill an extraordinary vacancy caused by a resignation. He was on the council until 1885.
References
‘Census Returns of England and Wales, 1861. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK, Class: Rg 9; Piece: 3700; Folio: 61; Page: 19; GSU roll: 543174
State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood, NSW, Australia; Inward passenger lists; Series: 13278; Roll: 415
‘Pioneer Manufacturer dead’, Sun, 6 May 1913, p. 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/229848063
‘Day is Done’, Truth, 11 May 1913, p. 3, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/168739000
‘Mr Thomas Day’, Methodist, 17 May 1913, p. 10, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/155459758
‘The Bootmakers’ Trouble’, Evening News, 14 May 1894, p. 6, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/114080682
‘Borough of Redfern’, NSW Government Gazette, 8 July 1884 (No.329), page 4414, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/225589147
NSW State Archives: DAY SON AND HARRIS, Business and Company Records 1903-1922, Item No: [2/8527], Page No: 147, File No: 1494, Nature of Business: Boot and Shoe Manufacturer, Place of Business: Federation Road Newtown.