T. B. Moore

{{Short description|Explorer of Australia (1850–1919)}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2015}} '''Thomas Bather Moore''' (1850 {{ndash}} 1919) was a pioneer explorer of [[Western Tasmania|Western]] and [[South West Tasmania|South West]], [[Tasmania]], Australia.

==Biography== He was born at [[New Norfolk, Tasmania|New Norfolk]], [[Van Diemen's Land]] and died at [[Queenstown, Tasmania|Queenstown]]. He was buried at the graveyard [[Strahan, Tasmania|Strahan]] overlooking [[Macquarie Harbour]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34470415?q=thomas+bather+moore&c=book&versionId=42636481 |title=Library catalogue entry for University of Tasmania Dept. of History thesis: T. B. Moore: a bushman of learning |author=Ian McShane |year=1982}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article84282862 |title=Family Notices. |newspaper=[[Zeehan and Dundas Herald]] |location=Tas. |date=16 August 1919 |access-date=30 October 2012 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

He was appointed as a Fellow of the [[Royal Geographical Society]]. He had been a prospector,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article38321748 |title=WEST COAST SILVERFIELD. |newspaper=[[Launceston Examiner]] |location=Tas. |date=2 October 1888 |access-date=11 July 2011 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref> track cutter, botanist, geographer and geologist – all mainly in [[West Coast, Tasmania]] area.<ref>{{cite thesis |first=Ian |last=McShane |year=1983 |title=T. B. Moore : a bushman of learning |type=Thesis (B.A.(Hons.)) |publisher=University of Tasmania }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article24695127 |title=WEST COAST NEWS. |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |location=Hobart, Tasmania |date=17 September 1932 |access-date=11 July 2011 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

His tracks were legendary routes through parts of the South West Wilderness, as well as the [[West Coast Range]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Last Explorer |pages=219–230 |first=C. J. |last=Binks |work=Explorers of Western Tasmania |location=Launceston |publisher=Mary Fisher Bookshop |year=1980 |isbn=0-908291-16-7 }}</ref> He had been considered one of the most experienced of [[Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company]]'s track cutters.

''[[Western Tasmania (book)|Western Tasmania: A land of Riches and Beauty]]'', was dedicated to his memory. In part of the dedication [[Charles Whitham]] states: {{quotation|''Thomas Moore was the first in place, though not in time, of those who have explored Western Tasmania. He traversed every portion of the territory, sometimes as a prospector.... his knowledge of this region was never equalled by any other, and will never be surpassed.''|[[Charles Whitham]] in ''[[Western Tasmania (book)|Western Tasmania]]''}}

==Naming of Tasmanian landscape== He named many features including [[Mount Strahan]], the '''Thureau Hills''' and the '''Tofft River''' which runs between those hills and [[Mount Huxley (Tasmania)|Mount Huxley]].<ref>For a letter by Thomas Bather Moore regarding the naming of the features along the south west coastline see – {{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9428568 |title=PORT DAVEY TO MACQUARIE HARBOUR. |newspaper=[[The Mercury (Hobart)|The Mercury]] |location=Hobart, Tasmania |date=13 August 1898 |access-date=11 July 2011 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

Whitham says in his book ''T.B. Moore'' that Moore "laid it down that all western lakes must have feminine names", which Whitham guessed would be ignored by bureaucrats in [[Hobart]]. [[Hydro Tasmania]] has since created lakes which have names that do not follow Moore's suggestion.

;Author abbreviation {{botanist|T.B.Moore|Moore, Thomas Bather}}

==Notes== {{reflist|30em}}

==References== * {{cite book| author=Binks, C.J.| title=Explorers of Western Tasmania |publisher=Mary Fisher Bookshop | location=Launceston|year=1980 |isbn=0-908291-16-7}} * {{cite book| author=Blainey, Geoffrey| title=[[The Peaks of Lyell]] | edition=6th | publisher=St. David's Park Publishing | location=Hobart| year=2000| isbn=0-7246-2265-9}} * [[Charles Whitham|Whitham, Charles]]. ''Western Tasmania: A Land of Riches and Beauty.'' * {{cite book| author=Whitham, Lindsay| title=Railways, Mines, Pubs and People and other historical research| publisher=Tasmanian Historical Research Association| location=Sandy Bay| year=2002| isbn=0-909479-21-6}} * {{cite book| editor=Stoddart, D.Michael| title=[[Walk to the West]]| publisher=The Royal Society of Tasmania| location=Hobart| year=1993| isbn=0-9598679-9-6}}

==External links== * http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/archives/P001263a.htm – correspondence between Moore and [[Ferdinand von Mueller]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, T. B.}} [[Category:Colony of Tasmania people]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society]] [[Category:Western Tasmania]] [[Category:Explorers of Tasmania]] [[Category:1850 births]] [[Category:1919 deaths]] [[Category:South West Tasmania]]