Thomas Ambrose Gaunt
Melbourne’s Premier 19th-Century Clockmaker and Public Timekeeper
Thomas Ambrose Gaunt was one of the most influential figures in Australia’s early horological history. Born in London in 1829, Gaunt emigrated to the colony of Victoria in 1852 and soon became a central figure in Melbourne’s burgeoning timekeeping and scientific instrument industry. At a time when public clocks and accurate timekeeping were essential to urban development, Gaunt established himself not only as a maker and retailer of clocks and watches, but also as a builder and installer of large public clock mechanisms and precision devices that helped shape how time was measured across Victoria, placing him within a tradition that began earlier in the region with figures such as James Oatley, whose work marked the beginnings of local clockmaking in colonial Australia.
From London to Melbourne: Establishing a Horological Presence
After arriving in Melbourne during the gold-rush era, Gaunt quickly gained experience working with established jewellers and instrument makers before opening his own shop. By 1858 he operated a business on Little Bourke Street, which he later relocated to prominent premises on Bourke Street at the corner of the Royal Arcade — a key commercial intersection. His reputation for accurate timekeeping and technical skill grew rapidly as Melbourne expanded.
Gaunt’s firm, operating under his name and later as T. Gaunt & Co., sold and repaired watches and clocks, jewellery, and scientific instruments like thermographs, barometers, and surveying devices. He proudly advertised that he was “the only watch manufacturer in the Australian colonies,” highlighting his ambition to produce high-quality precision pieces locally despite the dominance of imported European timepieces.
Public Timekeeping and Civic Installations
Gaunt’s most enduring legacy lies in his contribution to public timekeeping. Unlike many clockmakers who focused solely on private timepieces, Gaunt was responsible for designing, manufacturing, and installing a series of large clocks for iconic public institutions. Notable examples include:
The turret clock for Sale, Victoria (1886)
Mount Gambier Town Hall clock (1883)
Flinders Street Station clock (installed 1888)
Malvern Shire Hall clock (1891)
Clock for the lobby of the Melbourne General Post Office, designed in collaboration with Government Astronomer Robert Ellery
The animated Gog and Magog figures and clockwork mechanism in Melbourne’s Royal Arcade
These installations made Gaunt’s work part of daily life in Melbourne and regional centres, helping synchronize schedules for commerce, transport, and civic functions long before electrical time signals became widespread. In this respect, his role as a public timekeeper closely parallels the work of Arthur Beverly in Dunedin, where horology intersected with scientific inquiry and institutional timekeeping, and also aligns him internationally with firms such as E. Howard & Co. in the United States, whose tower and public clocks similarly governed urban life during the nineteenth century.
In addition to tower clocks, Gaunt built a chronograph for Melbourne’s Flemington Racecourse in 1876 that was accurate to a quarter of a second, illustrating his technical competence and expanding his influence beyond static time displays.
Scientific Instruments and Innovation
Beyond clocks, Gaunt’s firm was well known for producing scientific instruments, including hydrometers, thermographs, and astronomical devices. Many of these products supported not only everyday life but also professional scientific work in a rapidly modernizing colony. His business model blended retail precision instruments with bespoke public clock installations — a rare combination that placed him at the center of Victorian technological life in the late 19th century.
Legacy and Continued Influence
Thomas Gaunt died at his home in Coburg, Victoria, in 1890, leaving an estate valued at over £41,000 — a substantial sum for the period — and a thriving business that continued as T. Gaunt & Co. after his death. Many of his public clock installations endured well into the 20th century, becoming cultural landmarks in their own right. Although the company eventually closed decades after Gaunt’s death, his work remains preserved in surviving clocks, historical records, and public appreciation of Melbourne’s horological heritage.
References / Further Reading
Thomas Gaunt – Australian horologist & instrument maker, Wikipedia — biography and overview of his life, business, and public clock installations.
Clock and Watchmakers – eMelbourne, Encyclopedia of Melbourne — detailed historical context for Gaunt’s clockmaking activities and public work in the colony.
Museums Victoria Collections — article on Thomas Gaunt’s business, turret clocks, and scientific instruments.
The story of Thomas Gaunt, premier Melbourne clockmaker (Time + Tide Watches) — narrative history of Gaunt’s work and iconic installations.
