Thomas Trood (11 February 1833 – 23 March 1916) was an entrepreneur notable for acting as British Vice Consul in Samoa during the period it was annexed by Germany in 1900.
[1] Known colloquially as the "Grand Old Man of Samoa" for his long service in local affairs, he was commemorated in a set of the nation's postage stamps in 1968.
In 1853 Trood returned to Sydney, later acquiring The Maid of Alicante, a ship with which he went into business trading goods such as pearlshell around the islands of Oceania.
[1] For the next 18 years he worked as a bookkeeper, and later manager, for more successful British and German entrepreneurs in Samoa and Tongatabu before finally starting another business of his own.
Witnessing, recording and reporting local political developments over many decades, Thomas Trood's diligent and benevolent support for Samoa earned him great respect.