Painter, was born in Mount Eagle (Eaglemont), Melbourne, on 18 September 1865 and raised in Japan until leaving to study art in Europe. J.H. Brooke, his father, had been member for Geelong from 1856 – 1859, before leaving for Japan in 1867 to found the first foreign language newspaper in Japan, the Japan Daily Herald , a highly influential newspaper in its day.
Vincent Van Gogh, in a letter to his brother, Theo, of July, 1890, mentions a young Australian artist named 'Walpole Brooke’, with whom he was going out painting. Van Gogh continues to say that Walpole Brooke had lived in Japan. Van Gogh died shortly afterwards, and in his sketchbook no. 7 was found the visiting card of E Walpole Brooke.
Brooke exhibited paintings at the Royal Academy, London and the Paris Salon during 1890 and 1891.
He was back in Japan by the mid 1890s. On 1 September 1894, the Sydney Morning Herald (p.5) reported: 'Japanese papers state that an exhibition has been held in Yokohama of upwards of 20 studies in oil by Mr. E.W. Brooke, a native of Melbourne. He is the son of Mr. J.H. Brooke, editor and proprietor of the Japan Mail , who was Minister of Land and Works in Victoria in 1860-61. His son, the artist, studied painting in Europe, and some of his works have been hung in the Royal Academy, London and in the Paris Salon. They are chiefly figures and landscapes.’
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- (19 September 1865), 'Argus p 4', Melbourne , Vic.
