(Material researched & presented by Barbara Armstrong)

[1845 - 1910]

John Thomas Osmond, and his twin sister Elizabeth, was born in Melbourne in 1845. He was the second son of Thomas Osmond and Hannah Rodbear Ridler who had arrived in Melbourne aboard the Westminster in July 1841.  John was also known as 'John T Osmond' or 'J.T. Osmond'.

The first mention of John's activities was in 1868 when he was about age 23. He was working as a clerk and manager for a man called Alfred Levi. Articles in the newspapers recommended that there be established a registration office for the unemployed, to assist them in obtaining positions. John wrote to the Editor of The Argus to inform people that there already existed the Victorian Mercantile Registration Society and that it had already existed for 12 months, 'to procure situations for unemployed clerks, assistants, etc.' The office was on the north-east side of Collins Street East, on the corner of Elizabeth Street.  Subsequent letters from the members of the public stated that there was no such 'society' and that they had never heard of a 'society' without a 'committee'.  Furthermore, the unemployed person had to pay to become registered and when a job was obtained, had to pay the first week's salary to the Society. The Society disappeared from the Post Office Directory in the following year.

By June 1873 John Thomas had established his own business - Osmond's Homœopathic Pharmacy (also known as Kew Homœopathic Pharmacy), located on Bulleen Road, Kew (at that time, also known as Main Road). It appears that he took over the business of another chemist, J.P. Roebuck, who had also been the Deputy Electoral Registrar for the area. The Post Office directory for 1873 lists John as having the position of Registrar.

At the same time his father, Thomas, commenced business as a homœopathic chemist in High Street, St Kilda.

After several unsuccessful attempts at establishing a pharmacy business in Melbourne, John moved to Sydney and established a homœopathic pharmacy there. It appears that this move took place during 1879, the first mention of him in Sydney being in May 1879. Later, around 1888, he also started advertising his services as a dentist.

John's name appeared in the United Grand Lodge of England Freemasons Membership Register - the Robert Burns Lodge of Australia, having joined in September 1880.

John acquired some property, advertising some small cottages during October 1882. One cottage was in Morehead Street, Waterloo, while the other was in Redfern Street, Redfern.

John Thomas Osmond and Sarah Elizabeth Patrick had 5 children - 3 boys born in Victoria and a boy and a girl born in Sydney. The two eldest boys also became chemists and dentists.

On 9 July 1901 John died at his residence at 798 George Street, Sydney, age 56. He was buried at Waverley Cemetery. Sarah Elizabeth died on 14 August 1927. She was described as being the widow of a dentist.

©   Barbara Armstrong

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