Samuel Tomkinson J.P. was a South Australian banker and politician. He was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1885 to 1894, representing Southern District, and from 1897 to 1900 representing Central District.
History
Tomkinson was born in Denbighshire, Wales, and served as a clerk in a Liverpool shipping office, before working in the North and South Wales Bank, first as teller, and rapidly rose through the ranks to become Director. In 1850 he accepted the position of Manager of the Bank of Australasia in Sydney. In 1851 he transferred to Adelaide, replacing Marshall Macdermott, whose daughter he married in 1853. They initially lived on King William Street, but sometime before 1860 acquired "Mangona" at 9 Blackburn Drive, Crafers, close to Summit Road, Mount Lofty, which became their summer residence and later, as "St Barberie" owned by C. T. C. de Crespigny and family. Around the time he arrived in Adelaide, the gold rush to Victoria was underway, and South Australia was undergoing a crisis brought about by shortage of currency to pay for the gold being brought back to the Colony. Moves were made for the creation of a South Australian gold coinage, led by George Tinline. This was strenuously opposed by Tomkinson in representations to the Legislative Council. He retired from the bank in October 1879.
He was for twenty years a member of the Adelaide Licensing Bench.
He was a member of the Adelaide Club and the Old Colonists' Club.
While living in the city he was an active member of Trinity Church, and when at Mount Lofty worshipped at the Church of the Epiphany, Craters, and held responsible positions with both Anglican churches.
He contested, unsuccessfully, the seat of Gumeracha at the 1880 elections, but was more successful in 1881, losing the seat in 1884. He tried for Mount Barker and Albert in 1885, but was again unsuccessful. He won a seat on the Legislative Council in 1885. At the end of his term in 1894 he joined the contest for the Legislative Council Central District but failed, however he won a seat in 1897. He was a member of the Renmark and Murray River Settlements Royal Commission, among others.
Family
Samuel married Louisa Charlotte Macdermott on 7 September 1853. They had a residence on King William Street in 1854, and later also a residence at Mt. Lofty, which they occupied mostly in the warmer months. They had a large family, many of whom, such as eldest son George Arnold Tomkinson BA, LLB lived their entire adult lives in England. Two notable exceptions were:
Mary Harriet Tomkinson was also prominent in a wide range of charitable and philanthropic organizations including the Adelaide Rescue Society, the Victoria League of S.A. and the British Women's Alliance, League of the Empire and Army Nurses' Fund. She served as hon. treasurer for the Women's Non-Party Association, Travellers' Aid Society and Lady Victoria Buxton Girls' Club, secretary for St. John's Ambulance Society.
