Grace Bussell

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Grace Bussell
Born 1860
near Margaret River, Western Australia
Died 7 October 1935 (age 75)
Guildford, Western Australia
Resting place
 Guildford Cemetery
Other names Grace Vernon Drake-Brockman
Spouse(s) Frederick Slade Drake-Brockman (m. 1880, w. 1917)
Children Enid (b. 1882),
Frederika (b. 1882),
Edmund (b. 1884),
Geoffrey (b. 1885),[1]
Deborah (b. 1887),
Frederick (b. 1889),
Karl (b. 1891)
Parents Ellen (née Heppingstone) and Alfred Pickmore Bussell
Relatives John Bussell (uncle), John Winthrop Hackett (son-in-law)
Awards Royal Humane Society Silver Medal

Grace Vernon Drake-Brockman (née Bussell; 1860 – 7 October 1935), commonly referred to as Grace Bussell, was a woman from Western Australia. In 1876, as a 16-year-old, she was involved in the rescue of the SS Georgette, for which she was awarded the Royal Humane Society's Silver Medal.

Biography

Grace was born to the well-known and prosperous Bussell family. At age 7, she discovered Wallcliffe cave.

Lauded by the press at the time of the rescue, she became known as 'The Grace Darling of the West', (after an Englishwoman who had rescued people in similar circumstances). She was awarded a silver medal by the Royal Humane Society,[2] and also a gold watch and chain from the British Government.[3]

She married Frederick Slade Drake-Brockman (1857–1917) in 1880;[3] he served as Surveyor General of Western Australia from 1915 to 1917. They had three daughters and four sons, including Edmund (1884–1949), Geoffrey (1885–1977),[1] and Deborah (1887–1965).

She died aged 75 in Guildford, Western Australia.[3]

Bussell is commemorated by having had several places named in her honour. One of these is the coastal hamlet of Gracetown, Western Australia, north of Margaret River. Another is the Western Australian wheatbelt town of Lake Grace.[4] Both of these were named after her by her husband.[5] Additionally, a street in the Canberra suburb of Cook is named after her.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Peter Cowan (1996) 'Drake-Brockman, Geoffrey (1885–1977)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 14, (MUP)
  2. ↑ Geason, Susan. "Australian Heroines". (synopsis). Retrieved 26 August 2008. 
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Obituary, Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University
  4. ↑ Landgate - History of Country Town Names
  5. ↑ Grace Vernon Bussell (1860–1935) - Find A Grave Memorial at www.findagrave.com

Further reading

  • Stewart, Athol Frederick Ferguson (1946). Australia's Grace Darling. Perth: Patersons. 

External links

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