Thomas Must

Thomas Must (30 January 1815 – 2 September 1905) was an English-born Australian politician. He served as a member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly^[1] and as a Justice of the Peace.^[2]

Thomas Must
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Portland
In office 20 May 1873 – 11 May 1877
Preceded by	Howard Spensley
Succeeded by	Thomas Cope
Personal details
Born	(1815-01-30)30 January 1815 London, England
Died	2 September 1905(1905-09-02) (aged 90) Portland, Victoria, Australia

Biography

Must was born on 30 January 1815 in London.^[2] He emigrated to Sydney, arriving in 1833 aboard the Guardian.^[3][2][4]

On 25 August 1842, Must married Anne Wilcox. They had eight daughters and four sons.^[2]

In Sydney, Must worked as a merchant. He moved to Portland in 1846 to establish an agency there.^[3][2][4] He served on Portland City Council at various points from 1856 to 1871, including as Mayor in 1864.^[3][2]

Must was elected to represent Portland in the Victorian Legislative Assembly on 20 May 1873 at the 1873 Portland colonial by-election. The by-election was held following the resignation of Howard Spensley.^[3]

He did not contest the 1877 Victorian colonial election. This is because districts were redistributed. As a result, Portland then encompassed a large region previously represented by Thomas Cope, who won the seat of Portland at the 1877 election.^[5][2][6]

Must died on 2 September 1905 in his house in Portland.^[2]