Charles BROCKMAN
Born C.1877 in Morawa, Western Australia [29]
Member of a group of Aboriginal people referred to by local farming families as the Forked Thumb Tribe [219: pages 13, 24]
At infancy the thumb of one hand was split from the nail as far as the first joint, which healed as two smaller thumbs [219: page 13]
The group lived in the early 1900s at a freshwater swamp known as Cooke Swamp in Dudawa, East Arrino [219: pages 13, 16]
During the hotter months of the year the group moved to near Cliff Head on the coast [219: page 16]
He remained in Arrino when the tribe left in the 1910s [219: page 26]
Attended and competed at the Mingenew Athletic Sports Club's Annual Meeting held in Mingenew on 16 March 1899 [31: 24-Mar-1899]
He won the Stand Long Jump with 10 feet and 10 inches, for which he received 7 shillings and sixpence in prize money [31]
Also won the Stand Hop Step & Jump with jumps of 28 feet and 8 inches and 29 feet, receiving 10 shillings [31]
Despite two rounds, he tied for Stand High Jump with 4 feet and half an inch, with a resolve for them to split the 10 shillings prize [31]
Donated 2/6 towards the fund being raised in aid of orphanages in 1899 through Elizabeth MACPHERSON of Carnamah [39: 5-Dec-1899]
Stockman on Arrino Station in Arrino 1904-1907 and Sheep Farmer in Three Springs 1908-1913 [6] [19] [32: 11-Dec-1911]
Farmed a 200 acre Conditional Purchase (C.P.) block and a 3,000 acre pastoral lease near The Lakes in Three Springs in 1908 [44]
Continued to graze the 3,000 acre pastoral lease until 1909, and then from 1909 to 1913 had another 1,173 acres in pastoral leases [44]
In addition to leasehold his farm in Three Springs from 1909 to 1913 consisted of 40 acres freehold and 353 acres in C.P. blocks [44]
The 40 acre freehold block was Victoria Location 939, situated about six kilometres west of the Mulliah / Yarra Yarra Lakes [44] [62]
He was approved to take up by Conditional Purchase the 100 acre Victoria Location 4494 in Three Springs in late 1909 [9: 5-Nov-1909]
In 1910 grew 30 acres of crop on his farm in Three Springs [9: 17-Jun-1910]
In addition to his farm in Three Springs he also had 1,622 acres in Arrino during the 1910-11 financial year [44]
The 1,622 acres was in three Conditional Purchase leases, a grazing lease of 300 acres and the 160 acre Victoria Location 2258 [44]
He was described as a 'half-caste' Aboriginal man on the baptism of his daughter Emma, with Sarah Jane FEEHAN, in 1907 [332]
Another account, by the daughter of early settler at Dudawa in East Arrino, described him as a 'full blood' [219: page 26]
Attended and competed at the Athletic Sports Meeting held in Arrino on Friday 19 June 1908 [9]
He won the Sheffield Handicap (running race), the Hurdle Race and the Siamese Race [9: 26-Jun-1908]
Played for the losing married men in a Married verses Single cricket match held in Three Springs on 4 February 1912 [9: 1-Mar-1912]
His horse Black Kitty came 2nd in the Trial Stakes at the Three Springs Race Club's Annual Race Meeting in 1912 [9: 15-Mar-1912]
His horses Homeward Lad and Black Kitty ran at thethe Moora Race Club's Annual Race Meeting on 29 March 1912 [9: 22-Mar-1912]
Came 2nd in the Farmers' Race, Hurdle Race and Tilting the Ring at the first annual 'Three Springs Day' held in 1912 [86: 17-Sep-1912]
Attended the Saint Patrick's Day Sports in Three Springs in 1913 and competed in the Sheffield Handicap race [9: 14-Mar-1913]
His horse Homeward Lad came 2nd in the Hurry Scurry at the Arrino & Dudawa Sports Association Race Meeting in 1914 [9: 17-Apr-1914]
Member of the Arrino-Dudawa Cricket Club in 1913-14 [9: 9-Jan-1914]
He is probably the 'C. Brockman' who was a member of the Carnamah Cricket Club in mid 1914 [9: 26-Jun-1914]
His four month old son Frederick died on 16 August 1914 and was buried the same day at the Three Springs General Cemetery [24]
Won some of the running races at the Saint Patrick's Day Sports Meeting held in Three Springs on 17 March 1915 [10: 26-Mar-1915]
Attended Arrino's Annual Sports Meeting held on Patrick M. DURACK's farm in Arrino on Easter Monday 1 April 1915 [10: 9-Apr-1915]
Competed in the day's events, winning the Throwing at the Wicket competition and coming 3rd in the Sheffield Handicap [10]
Charged with assault by the Police Court in Three Springs in February 1916 and was fined £10 plus £1/10/- costs [9: 18-Feb-1916]
Won the Hurdle Race at the Sports & Race Meeting held in Arrino, to raise finds for the Red Cross, on 26 April 1916 [9: 5-May-1916]
In 1918 he was living in Arrino [10: 4-Oct-1918]
His horse Spring Park won the Maiden Handicap at the Saint Patrick's Day Sports in Three Springs on 16 March 1918 [10: 22-Mar-1918]
At the Picnic Races held in Carnamah on Easter Monday 1 April 1918 his Spring Park came 2nd in the Flying Handicap [10: 12-Apr-1918]
Came 2nd in Tilting the Ring at the Three Springs Day held in Three Springs on Thursday 26 September 1918 [10: 4-Oct-1918]
At the Three Springs Race Club's Race Meeting on Thursday 6 March 1919 his horse Star won the Pony Race [9: 14-Mar-1919]
His horse Star ran in the horse races at the Sports Meeting in Three Springs on Saint Patrick's Day Monday 17 March 1919 [124]
Spring Park competed at the Carnamah Race Club's Picnic Race Meeting in Carnamah on Thursday 27 March 1919 [10: 11-Apr-1919]
His horse Spring Park came 3rd in the F. J. Morgan Plate of seven furlongs at the Three Springs Races on 4 March 1920 [9: 12-Mar-1920]
Spring Park also came 3rd in the Carnamah Stakes at the Carnamah Race Club's Race Meeting on 11 March 1920 [10: 19-Mar-1920]
Spring Park won the Forced Handicap at the Picnic Race Meeting in Three Springs on Saint Patrick's Day 17 March 1920 [123]
Donated 10/6 to the Three Springs Saint Patrick's Day Committee in 1920 [124]
Won the Potato Race at the Sports Meeting, to raise funds for an Agricultural Hall in Arrino, in Arrino on 15 October 1921 [9: 21-Oct-1921]
His horse Spring Park came 3rd in the Hurry Scurry at the Mingenew Race Club's Picnic Race Meeting on 15 June 1922 [9: 23-Jun-1922]
Percy T. BRIDGE of Mingenew took him to the Mingenew Local Court in November 1930 over the sum of £21/15/3 [4: 29-Nov-1930]
The Police Court in Mingenew charged him in 1945 with diving a horse and spring cart under the influence of liquor [4: 15 & 22-Sep-1945]
A week later he was also charged with having knowingly received intoxicating liqour contrary to the Natives Administration Act [4]
In May 1952 his unoccupied premises on Eleanor Street in Mingenew were condemned as unfit for habitation [4]
The Mingenew Road Board gave him six weeks to demolish the building and clean up the block [4: 31-May-1952]
He was living at the Native Reserve in Mingenew in mid 1952 [86: 5-Jun-1952]
Resided of late as a Pensioner in Mingenew [176]
Died 10 October 1953 in Three Springs; buried at the Mingenew Cemetery in Mingenew, Western Australia (Anglican, Plot 51A) [29] [176]
From The Irwin Index newspaper, Saturday 17 October 1953:
Elderly Native's Death
"The death occurred in the North Midlands District Hospital at Three Springs during last week-end of an aged native named C. Brockman, of Mingenew, whose funeral took place in the Mingenew Cemetery on Tuesday last. As far as can be ascertained the old man did not know his own age, but it is thought by those who have known him for a very lengthy period that he was in the octogenarian stage of life. The deceased man had spent most of his life in and around Mingenew and in his younger days was an outstanding pedestrian."
| Reference: Carnamah Historical Society & Museum and North Midlands Project, 'Charles Brockman' in Biographical Dictionary of Coorow, Carnamah and Three Springs, retrieved 27 December 2024 from www.carnamah.com.au/bio/charles-brockman [reference list] |
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