Thomas married Margaret GRIFFEN in June 1863, had a son born in 1863 and in December travelled to New Zealand as part of the Third Waikato Regiment. He was granted land at Cambridge and Hamilton for his service. The Tressler family lived at Grahamstown, Thames; Sydenham, Christchurch and various small settlements in Southland as Thomas practised his profession of sawmill machinist. He died at Riverton aged 83, and was given a funeral with military honours.
Thomas TRESSLER had arrived at Hobart on the Anna Maria with his mother, Ann PLANT. His parents were listed on his admission to the Orphan School as Ann Plant and John Wallace. In 1841, just before his birth, his mother was living at Wood St, Earl Shilton with children Elizabeth and William. Also in Wood St was a widower named John WALLIS. Ann's husband and legal father of William and Thomas was William TRESSLER, who had married Ann in Leicester in 1830 - there is no further information known about this man.