The Bruce Family

A.E. Williams

A.E. Williams 1984, Nedlands: From Campsite to City, City of Nedlands, Appendix C.

Undoubtedly John Bruce, who, with Captain E.Y.W. Henderson, had much to do with the establishment of the transportation system in Western Australia, played a pioneer’s part in the progress of the Swan River Colony. Certainly in his time (1850-68) Imperial funds boosted the internal market. Labour became available for those capital funds which had been so conspicuously absent before. Generally the Colony’s standard of living rose. For various reasons the previously stagnant economy began to show signs of progress.

In Colonel Bruce’s time Perth was a peaceful place of some 3000 to 7000 inhabitants. Both St George’s and Adelaide Terrace were then residential streets, sandy and dusty in summer, boggy and muddy in winter. Not until they were paved with jarrah blocks — the locals called them derisively ‘Hampton’s Cheeses’ after the Governor of the time — did they really improve.

There was not a person in Perth who did not know where inﬂuential Colonel John Bruce lived in St Georges Terrace. Sometimes the remark was made about him that he owned ‘many bushlands and marshes’. Some of these make up part of Nedlands today.

Mrs Bruce was said to be a handsome woman and an excellent needlewoman who loved fine clothes.

Swan Location 86, of 320 acres, was first granted to Thomas Bailey on 26 January 1839. Edward Hamersley bought it on 20 December 1839 for £250. On 9 March 1854 John Bruce possessed it for only £200.

Subsequently, on 8 June 1883 and on 13 February 1886, records in the Titles Office show that Edward Bruce (the Colonel‘s son) borrowed £500 and £200 from George Shenton, giving this land as security for the mortgage. On 7 April 1892 he paid off his debts and the mortgage was cancelled. However it was renewed again shortly afterwards when he again borrowed money from Mr Shenton — £200 on 14June 1892 and a further £200 on 16 March 1894.

John Bruce had been granted other land — W Swan Location 268 on 26 July 1860. On 7 April 1892 the Bruce Estates Trust handed this over to Sir George Shenton, no doubt in lieu of the money owed.

Reference to the map on endpapers shows that this location runs north from Swan Location 86 to the Perth-Fremantle Road. Its proximity to Swan Location 87 (Currie and Sutherland’s property) and Gallop’s Swan Location 85 should be carefully noted.

Colonel John Bruce and his wife had five children when they arrived at the Swan River in 1850. Their children were:

l. Charlotte Elizabeth. She was married on 3 January 1852 to Bartholomew Urban Vigors, a lawyer, who died only two years later. There was one son of this marriage, Thomas. Subsequently she remarried in England.

2. Jane Mary. She married Jamie Galbraith, an army doctor. She died in childbirth at the age of twenty years nine months.

3. Mary. At the age of fifteen years eight months she married Anthony O’Grady Lefroy, then one of the most eligible young men in the Swan River Colony. Mr Lefroy became the Colonial Treasurer and served in that capacity for the Government for 36 years. Mary was Secretary to Governor John Fitzgerald and helped her father during his two terms of Acting Governor. She officially opened Nedlands School on 28 January 1913 and passed away later this year on 22 June.

4. Clarissa. She was not married.

5. Emily Helen. She married the Rev. H. Hiley in England. Her mother lived with her for many years.

There were also two sons, Edward and Urban. Urban, the younger, died in 1854, while Edward lived until 1917.

The Bruce family grave is situated near St Bartholomew’s Church at the East Perth Pioneer Cemetery. It is close to the grave of Alexander Clarke, the only Governor of the Swan River Colony who is buried here. There are a number of Bruce family members in the family plot. The various inscriptions read:

In Memory of Lieut-Colonel John Bruce late of H.M. 16 and 18th Foot and for 20 years Staff Officer of Pensioners and Commandant in Western Australia. Died November 5th 1870 aged 62. Thy Will be Done.
In Loving memory of Anthony O’Grady Lefroy, C.M.G. who died 21st Jany. 1897 aged 81. was the treasurer of this colony for 36 years. “So he giveth his beloved sleep”. also Mary wife of the above. born 9 Aug. 1836 died 22 June 1913.
Sacred to the memory of Jane Mary wife of Dr. Galbraith daughter of Lieut-Colonel Bruce who died IX December MDCCCLIV Aged XX years IX months
“Them who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him”. I Thessalonians
In memory of Mary Bruce (Maidie) only daughter of Rose and Henry Bruce Lefroy born 22-6-1882 died 8 July 1899 Peace perfect peace.

Information from records in the Battye Library, the W.E.C. Moss Library of the Royal Western Australian Historical Society (Inc.), and family members.

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Williams, A.E. 1984, Nedlands: From Campsite to City, City of Nedlands.

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This page incorporates material from Garry Gillard's Freotopia website, that he started in 2014 and the contents of which he donated to Wikimedia Australia in 2024. The content was originally created on 7 March, 2018 and hosted at freotopia.org/people/bruce4.html (it was last updated on 23 January, 2024), and has been edited since it was imported here (see page history). The donated data is also preserved in the Internet Archive's collection.