Thomson married at Trinity Church, East Melbourne, on 1 June 1878, Alice, second daughter of the late John Leyland, contractor, Liverpool. In the intervals of press work, he acted as Secretary to the Parliamentary Boards on State Schools, Safety Mining Cages, Wattle Bark, etc., and to the Royal Commission on the Tariff. He was Secretary of Committees for the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880-81, and Secretary to the Victorian Commissioners to the Calcutta and Colonial and Indian Exhibitions, the success of the Victorian Court at the latter owing much to his organising ability. He was a Commissioner for the Melbourne Centennial Exhibition of 1888. He started the Melbourne "Evening Standard" newspaper on 29 April 1889, and in 1890 founded the "Sporting Standard", of which both papers he was general manager.