William Adams Brodribb

William Adams Brodribb
Born	Template:Birth date London, England
Died	May 31, 1886(1886-05-31) (aged 77) Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation(s)	Pastoralist, politician
Years active	1835–1886
Known for	Australian pastoralism and political service in Victoria and New South Wales

William Adams Brodribb (27 May 1809 – 31 May 1886) was a prominent Australian pastoralist and political figure.

Originally from London, his father, also named William Adams Brodribb, was a lawyer who was transported to Australia in 1817. The family established themselves near New Norfolk in Tasmania, where William Jr. spent his formative years.

In April 1835, Brodribb relocated to New South Wales and became a partner in a cattle enterprise. The following year, he drove cattle overland to Melbourne and eventually settled close to the area that later became Gundagai. He advocated for the construction of a punt across the Murrumbidgee River, playing a role in the region’s growth. In 1841, he participated in an expedition to Gippsland, during which he named significant sites including Port Albert and the Latrobe River.

By 1843, Brodribb was overseeing William Bradley’s Monaro properties and resided at Coolringdon station near Cooma for twelve years. In 1855, he founded the Wanganella run near Deniliquin and accumulated several estates in western New South Wales before retiring to Sydney in 1879.

Brodribb’s political pursuits began with an unsuccessful attempt to secure the Balranald seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 1859. He then won election to the Victorian Legislative Assembly representing Brighton in 1861 but resigned the next year. His brother Kenric served as a member for St Kilda in Victoria’s Legislative Assembly from 1861 to 1864. Brodribb also made an unsuccessful bid for the Monaro seat in the NSW Assembly during 1864–65.

In November 1880, he gained election to the NSW Legislative Assembly for Wentworth but stepped down after one year to accept appointment to the NSW Legislative Council in December 1881, where he remained until his passing.

In 1883, Brodribb authored his memoirs titled Recollections of an Australian squatter: 1835-1883.

He passed away in Sydney on 31 May 1886 and was interred at St Andrew's Graveyard in Brighton, Victoria.

Etymology

The Brodribb River located in East Gippsland bears his name.