In 1836 Thomas married Jessie Paterson, who had arrived in Hobart Town earlier that year also from Scotland.
In 1837 Thomas Napier sailed for the two-year-old settlement at Melbourne and at the first land sale in June 1837 purchased half an acre in Collins St for twenty pounds.
They continued their successful building business until 1843 when John Brown entered a partnership with James Stewart as a wine and spirit merchant.
Jessie died in 1891 and her property was left to her daughter Eleanor and son in -law, George Page Barber.
Napier’s son, Theodore is well known for his donation in 1920 of native bushland to Essendon Council (now part of the City of Moonee Valley) for parkland.