Thomas Alford (Queensland pioneer)

[1] Thomas Alford was born on 6 September 1817 in The Rectory, St Audries church, West Quantoxhead, Somerset, England, the son of Charles Alford (the rector of West Quantoxhead) and his wife Elizabeth (née Symes).

[2] Drayton started out as a settlement known as The Springs near a number of pastoral properties in the eastern Darling Downs in the early half of the 1840s.

In 1846 the inn was transferred to Stephen Mehan (or Meehan) and Alford built a house and store that incorporated the first post office on the Darling Downs, opening on 1 January 1846.

Henry's christening on 29 August 1852 was the first Anglican church service in Toowoomba and the first time the name "Toowoomba" appears in a written document, the name being attributed to Henry's mother, Elizabeth Alford.

[7] Thomas Alford died at his residence in Russell Street, Toowoomba, on Saturday 9 January 1864 aged 46 years after a long illness.