Thomas Ogilvie was born in 1819 in Lanarkshire, Scotland to James Ogilvie and Eliza Fordyce.

He arrived at Hobart Town with his Father and Mother on the Britomart on 4 February 1822.

After his father’s death in 1828 his mother Eliza first lived with and later married James Thomson, a convict builder and architect. In 1843-44 Thomson and his stepson Thomas Ogilvie were joint licensees of the British Hotel.

In the 1850s within the Geelong township, Thomas Ogilvie owned an ‘omnibus travelling carriage’ before 1853. Integral to the successful operations at Geelong’s port from the 1840s and throughout the early 20th century were shipping agents. These companies were responsible for managing cargo and passengers for ship owners, managers and others associated with the shipping industry. Some of the earliest in Geelong included Captain Thomas Ogilvie (from 1853).

Thomas died in 1862 in Geelong City, Victoria, Australia. He was buried Geelong Eastern Cemetery, Greater Geelong City, Victoria, Australia.