Thomas Welsby (29 November 1858 – 3 February 1941) was an Australian businessman, author, politician, and sportsman based in Queensland.

[1] The loss of his father caused the Welsby family to sell their substantial house in Ipswich and move to Brisbane.

He started his working life in June 1874 at age 15 with the Bank of New South Wales in Brisbane and remained there for five years until a conflict with a manager (whom he described as "imported" from Sydney) caused him to resign.

His banking experience also gave him a detailed understanding of the Queensland economy and the affairs of many of the major business concerns in the Colony.

After leaving the Bank, he briefly became a member of the Brisbane Stock Exchange but within a few months he opened an office as an accountant, trustee and auditor.

Welsby was a candidate for the Queensland Legislative Assembly in the electoral district of Fortitude Valley in 1899, 1902 and 1909 elections but was unsuccessful.

By-elections for both seats were held on 16 September 1911, with Macartney switching to Toowong, allowing Thomas Welsby to win Brisbane North as a Ministerialist.

Although his magnetic personality and sharp intellect drew people to him, the daily intrigue and backstabbing of politics was anathema to him.

Nevertheless, he was able to make his mark on the parliament by advancing the causes of the Ipswich railway workshops, the transformation of St Helena Island in Moreton Bay into a recreational park, and by advocating that the Brisbane Tramways Company be acquired and operated by the government.

Born only 35 years after the Brisbane River was first seen by Europeans, he was acutely aware of the dramatic growth and development of Queensland that was occurring around him and the need to record these events in writing.

He had travelled personally to almost every part of the region and was particularly knowledgeable of the Bay Islands which he spent a lifetime exploring in a succession of yachts.

Welsby was a passionate yachtsman and owned a number of boats over the years including Rip, Charm, Vagabond, Bohemian, Amity and the motor launch Sunbeam.