Obituaries Australia

Thomas Brodie, n.d.

from Pastoral Review, 16 September 1918

Thomas Alexander Brodie, one of the original Queensland pioneers, and for many years manager of Nive Downs, passed away last month in Sydney, aged 75 years. He was one of seven brothers born at Murrurundi, N.S.W.

Somewhere in the early sixties Thomas Brodie, his twin brother, J. B. Brodie, and Jack Dulhunty (who, strange to relate, died the same day in Bathurst, and his brother Robert the same day in Dubbo), all bush natives of N.S.W., together with three or four others, started from Rockhampton (Q.) to take up a large area of country on the lower Flinders River. They started off with three bullock teams, the drays loaded with rations and necessaries for forming their station. It was a very long trip from Rockhampton across to within a hundred miles of the Gulf; there were no roads, and it was a wonderful piece of grit and determination for young fellows to go through with.

The party got to their station, built a hut and stock yard, but during a dry time their rations running short, Thomas Brodie and a blackfellow started for Normanton with pack horses to get provisions. Heavy rain fell after he left— the Flinders came down in a tremendous flood, and the two or three who were left at the station had to get on top of the hut, taking a few of the utensils they had. Luckily they took up the camp oven, in which they made a fire, and they were forced to remain there for about ten days with only beef to exist on. They were still there when T.A. and his black boy got back. He left Normanton with weighty packs of rations, but the ground being so heavy on account of floods and mud he had to leave the bulk of the supplies and the saddle packs behind, and when he did arrive he only had two pairs of trousers filled with flour. He had to resort to filling the trousers with flour, placing them straddle legged across their own saddles, and lead the horses, tramping through the slush and water, as the weight was much more easily distributed this way than in the big bags flour was packed in in those days.

It was a rough experience, and the results, as with many other experiences of the pioneers in those days, were nil. Funds ran out and they were obliged to abandon their project. Thomas Brodie got back as far as Nive Downs and soon became manager of that property for the Scottish Australian Investment Co. Ltd., holding the management for 47 years until a short time before his death. His twin brother afterwards became manager of Boolcarrol Station, in N.S.W., where he died some years ago.

He was a member of the Murweh Shire, and several times chairman; chairman of the Marsupial Board. His was a strong personality, and of generous disposition, greatly respected by all who knew him