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Tin miner turned senator, Thomas Jerome Kingston Bakhap (1866–1923) was born in Ballarat, Victoria and learnt to speak Chinese from his adoptive Chinese father. At the age of 16, he became an interpreter for Chinese east coast miners and settlers and first became involved in politics working as a delegate to miners' conferences.
Bakhap served as a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1909 to 1913, resigning to take up a position as Liberal senator for Tasmania in Federal Parliament. He served until his death in 1923.
Senator Bakhap was approached to assist with the problems arising from the implementation of the Immigration Restriction Act 1901. Bakhap served as a member of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts 1914–1917 and was Chairman of Committees between 1920 and 1923. He was also sent by the Commonwealth government on a trade mission to Asia in 1922.
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