professional photographer, was working between August 1857 and 1861 in Barker Street, Castlemaine, Victoria, where he specialised in taking photographs of people and horses. In 1858 the painter Cuthbert (Ismir) Clarke inserted an enigmatic apology in the Mount Alexander Mail :
To Dr Homagee Bormagee, Photographic Artist, Barker Street. Sir, I beg most sincerely to apologise for the insulting expressions made use of by me toward you on Friday last, which were made under the influence of very great excitement and for which I am heartily sorry, and trusting you will accept this as a sufficient apology, I remain Sir, Yours obediently/ Cuthbert Clarke.
By 1882 Dr Bomagee was thought to be at Liverpool, New South Wales, according to a 'missing friends’ notice in the Victoria Police Gazette . His relatives, who were anxious to contact him, stated that he was originally from Bombay, India – a Parsee who had converted to Roman Catholicism.
In an article 'Ned Kelly’s Trial.Recalled by JF Archibald. Personal Sketch of the outlaw’ the former Bulletin journalist recalled how 'when it was proposed that I should interview the bushranger in
his mountain fastness there had been
sent to Kelly an excellent portrait
of me by my Parsee friend Bigginge
Sorabje Pochee, who, in his day, had
been an Indian gaol photographer,
and who knew that the only honest
and always recognisable likenesses
are those taken in prison, where, as
for obvious reasons portraits are
never retouched, the character lines
of a man’s face are left intact.’.
It would appear this is the same photographer.
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- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2016
