William Fraser Tolmie was born on February 3, 1812, in Inverness, Scotland.

He was a surgeon, fur trader, scientist, and politician. In 1832, he received a medical degree from the University of Glasgow and was a Licentiate of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. When the Hudson's Bay Company was looking for medical officers for the Columbia District of the Pacific Northwest, he signed a five-year contract to serve in the dual capacity of clerk and surgeon. He arrived at Fort Nisqually, Washington in 1833 and served as the post's first surgeon. He soon was trading furs with the Native Americans and showed a marked aptitude for dealing with them. As a surgeon and trader, he arranged good relations with the Native Americans and served as chef legislator for the Hudson's Bay Company North Region (1843-1859). In 1859, the Hudson's Bay Company transferred him to British Columbia, where he served on the HBC Board of Management until his retirement in 1871. He was also active in politics, serving as a member of the House of Assembly of Vancouver Island (1860-1866) and a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (1874-1878). Tolmie State Park in Washington is named after him.

In 1850, he married Jane Work (1827–1880). He died on December 8, 1886, in Victoria, British Columbia.