Thomas Walsh (15 January 1871 – 5 April 1943) was an Irish-born Australian trade unionist. He was born at Youghal in County Cork to cobbler Patrick Walsh and Mary Walsh (née Murphy). He was raised by his aunts following his mother's early death, and had little formal education. In 1893 he arrived in Brisbane with the intention of joining the planned socialist utopia New Australia, but lacked the necessary funds. He instead worked as a seaman and joined the Social Democratic Vanguard. He married Margaret O'Heir in Cairns on 18 November 1899. They had three daughters: Hannah (born in 1903), Elizabeth "Bessie" (born in 1905) and Sarah "Sallie" (born in 1906). He soon moved to New South Wales, where he worked as a Newcastle agent for the Federated Seamen's Union of Australasia. A supporter of