Mort, Thomas Sutcliffe (1816-1878), was one of Australia’s greatest pioneer business leaders. He began the system of public wool auctions in Australia, built Sydney’s first dry dock, helped pioneer the freezing of meat for export, and was one of the promoters of the first railway in New South Wales. A dry dock is a dock that can be drained so that watercraft can be built or repaired.
Mort was born in Bolton, England, on Dec. 23, 1816. He immigrated to Sydney in 1838 and worked as a clerk, gaining experience in business and commerce. In 1843, he established himself as an auctioneer, earning expertise in wool and livestock sales. Mort later held business interests in dry docks, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Mort’s business interests led to his financing the work of a French engineer, Eugene Dominique Nicolle, who developed advanced refrigeration techniques. Using the resulting technology, Mort opened an abattoir (slaughterhouse) and later the world’s first ice works (factory) to supply the domestic market. In 1877, Mort led a group of sheep farmers who donated money to Nicolle to install refrigeration machinery in a cargo ship, the Northam. The machinery failed to operate. However, Mort’s interest in refrigeration technology helped pave the way for the export of perishable food. The first frozen meat was successfully shipped from Sydney to London aboard the Strathleven in 1879, after Mort’s death. He died on May 9, 1878.
