Henry Teesdale Smith

Henry Teesdale Smith
Born	Merino, Victoria, Australia
Died	February 25, 1921(1921-02-25) (aged 62) Melbourne, Australia
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, railway contractor, timber merchant, pastoralist, politician
Years active	1880s–1920s
Known for	Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (1901–1904); founder of railway contracting business; manager of Millars timber company

Henry Teesdale Smith (22 December 1858 – 25 February 1921) was a prominent Australian entrepreneur and political figure, recognized for his roles as a timber merchant, railway constructor, and pastoralist. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly in Western Australia between 1901 and 1904.

Originating from Merino, Victoria, Smith completed his education at Hamilton College before beginning his career with a railway contracting company. In 1888, he established his own railway contracting enterprise and relocated to Western Australia in 1893 to oversee construction of the Bunbury–Busselton railway line. By 1894, he had taken charge of an Albany timber business, which he expanded into a large-scale sawmilling operation with significant leases across the Darling Range. His company merged with seven others in 1902 to create Millars, which became the leading force in Western Australia's timber industry.

During the 1901 state election, Smith secured election as an independent representative for the Wellington seat in the Legislative Assembly but chose not to stand for re-election in 1904, opting to concentrate on his commercial ventures. As manager of Millars, he dealt with various difficulties including a royal commission investigating price-fixing allegations, downturns in the market, and labor disputes. He resigned from this position in 1908 following a wage disagreement and moved to Adelaide to resume his railway contracting activities. Additionally, Smith held pastoral leases in regions near Northam, Mount Barker, Harvey, and Wokalup.

While based in South Australia, Smith was responsible for constructing several important railway lines such as the Gawler–Angaston and Nurioopta–Truro routes, along with an electric tramway system in Adelaide. He returned to Western Australia in 1911 to undertake the building of the Marble Bar Railway. In 1914, he secured a federal contract for a segment of the Trans-Australian Railway extending west from Port Augusta. Later in 1918, New South Wales engaged him to construct a wheat silo and grain elevator facility at White Bay. The contentious nature of this contract is thought to have played a role in the electoral defeat of Premier William Holman’s administration in 1920.

Smith retired while residing in Adelaide but also maintained homes in Melbourne and Sydney. He passed away in Melbourne at age 62 due to a cerebral haemorrhage in February 1921. In 1885, he married Lydia Kate Johnson; together they had five sons and one daughter.