Maitland Brown Memorial

Fremantle, Perth Attractions

The Maitland Brown Memorial was completed by sculptor Pietro Giacomo Porcelli and was widely considered one of Fremantle's most controversial public scultures. The sculpture  was unveiled in February 1913 by Lady Forrest and includes fure panels, one of which is dedicated to three early explorers Goldwyer, Harding and Panter. The bodies of these three explorers were recovered by Maitland Brosn at Boola Boola. One of the panels on this sculpturebears an inscription in one of the panels that reads that the 'three explorers were attacked and murdered by Aboriginal people at Boola, near Le Grange Bay'.

Aboriginal communities considered this sculpture and the words in the panel as racist and misrepresented the events which led to the white settlement of Western Australia. As a result of this the work now carries a plaque in memory of the Aboriginal people killed at la Grange and commemorating all other Aboriginal people who died during the invasion of their colony.

The Maitland Brown Memorial sculpture is located in the Esplanade Reserve close to Fishing Boat Harbour, Fremantle, Western Australia.

Maitland Brown was born in York, Western Australia, in 1843 and  moved to Fremantle in 1852 with his family when his father was appointed as a magistrate. At the age of 18 Maitland Brown joined Frank Gregory's expedition to north Western Australia in search of fertile farming lands. In an act of heroism during this expedition for which a river was named in his honour, Maitland rode back to the base camp to return with water for the thirsty explorers who would otherwise have died.

Maitland Brown was later a politician and a member of the legislative council. In 1886 he resigned his seat on the legislative council for the final time to take up the position of Resident Magistrate in Geraldton. Maitland Brown died in 1905 and was originally buried at Karrakatta Cemetery but six years later his remains were removed and placed with those of the three speared explorers at East Perth Cemeteries .