Design and Art Australia Online

sketcher and pastoralist, fifth son of Rev. Julius Drake Brockman of Cheriton, England, married Frances Hamersley in 1827; their first child, Edmund Ralph, was born the following year. On 20 January 1830 Brockman, his wife and son arrived at Fremantle, Western Australia, on board the Minstrel . He had come well equipped with servants, livestock and a prefabricated home and settled at Herne Hill on the Upper Swan, part of his 20 160-acre land grant. Later he leased vast pastoral properties where he bred sheep and horses, the latter for export to India. He was a justice of the peace from 1831, an unofficial member of the Legislative Council from 1839 and an elected member for the Swan from 1872.

Brockman died on 28 November 1872 and was buried in the Middle Swan Church of England churchyard. He was survived by his wife and four children; five children predeceased him. A naive view of Middle Swan church and churchyard is attributed to him on an old inscription on the picture’s mount (ink and watercolour, AGWA).

Writers:

Staff Writer

Date written:

1992

Last updated:

2011