Thomas Frederic De Courcy Browne

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}

Thomas Frederic De Courcy Browne (1838 – 9 October 1899) was an Irish-born Australian politician and journalist.

He was born in Dublin to John Browne and Mary O'Neill. His early life is unclear; some sources state that he was educated at the University of Dublin, while others indicate he went to the Victorian goldmines as an adolescent.

He moved to New South Wales in 1862 and mined at Burrangong Creek, where he became a local journalist and chairman of the mining court. In his capacity as chairman of the mining court, he developed an influential code of mining regulations.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article78360996 |title=THE NEW MINING LAWS |newspaper=The Daily News |volume=XIII |issue=6,201 |location=Western Australia |date=16 March 1895 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}} He edited the Murrumbidgee Herald at Gundagai for a period, then acquired the Burrangong Tribune in 1864.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263974381 |title=YOUNG. |newspaper=The Yass Courier |volume=VIII |issue=609 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=29 October 1864 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article144774774 |title=GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. |newspaper=The Tumut and Adelong Times |volume=V |issue=459 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=6 April 1865 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1864, he was also serving as honorary secretary of the Gundagai Hospital.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13106846 |title=Advertising |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |volume=L |issue=8197 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=15 September 1864 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1865, he established the Gundagai Herald at Gundagai, but sold it the next year. In 1867, he was a mining agent at Grenfell and was agent there for the Emu Creek Miner; he also served as Clerk of Petty Sessions there until his dismissal in 1868.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130958325 |title=Advertising |newspaper=The Mining Record and Grenfell General Advertiser |volume=1 |issue=14 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=14 September 1867 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130958946 |title=LOCAL NEWS. |newspaper=The Mining Record and Grenfell General Advertiser |volume=1 |issue=24 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=23 November 1867 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article247265579 |title=Grenfell Local News. |newspaper=The Burrangong Argus |volume=IV |issue=193 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=11 July 1868 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In 1868 he followed the gold rush to Gympie, where he was a member of the local mining court.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article171520910 |title=Notes and News. |newspaper=Gympie Times And Mary River Mining Gazette |volume=XXXI |issue=3969 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=12 October 1899 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} He then accepted an appointment as Acting Clerk of Petty Sessions on the Gilbert River Goldfields in July 1869, but quarreled with the Gold Commissioner, leading to both being removed from their positions.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article148018150 |title=OFFICIAL NOTIFICATIONS. |newspaper=Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser |issue=769 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=10 July 1869 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1301910 |title=The Courier. |newspaper=The Brisbane Courier |volume=XXIV |issue=3,783 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=19 November 1869 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article148020315 |title=(From the Express.) |newspaper=Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser |issue=831 |location=Queensland, Australia |date=2 December 1869 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}}

He returned to New South Wales in 1870, living at Gulgong.{{cite NSW Parliament |title = Mr Thomas Frederic De Courcy Browne (1838-1899) |id=724 |former=Yes |accessdate=23 June 2019}} In February 1871, he founded the Gulgong Guardian newspaper, which he published and edited until its closure in July 1873.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13220459 |title=GOLD AND OTHER MINING. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |volume=LXIII |issue=10,223 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=24 February 1871 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107177461 |title=NEWS OF THE DAY |newspaper=Evening News |issue=1854 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=19 July 1873 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} In May 1873, he was found guilty of criminal libel against Thomas Alexander Browne and sentenced to six months imprisonment in Darlinghurst Gaol.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13313657 |title=CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |volume=LXVII |issue=10,919 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=16 May 1873 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} He was released after one month on order of the Governor, but was immediately rearrested on embezzlement charges.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article61897013 |title=LATEST INTELLIGENCE. |newspaper=Clarence and Richmond Examiner and New England Advertiser |volume=XV |issue=963 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=24 June 1873 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} The Guardian folded two weeks after his second arrest and he was committed for trial in July 1874; the outcome is not known.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article199005740 |title=LATEST INTELLIGENCE. |newspaper=The Ballarat Star |volume=XVIII |issue=159 |location=Victoria, Australia |date=5 July 1873 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}

In June 1874, he founded another Gulgong area newspaper, the Home Rule Pilot, but this was short-lived.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122751315 |title=GUNDAGAI LOCAL NEWS. |newspaper=The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser |volume=XVI |issue=1176 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=13 June 1874 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=2 |via=National Library of Australia}} In the same month, he was elected as the Mudgee district representative on the Mining Board of New South Wales, on which he served for several years.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article115478398 |title=A VISIT TO THE SOUP KITCHEN AND CITY NIGHT REFUGE. |newspaper=Freeman's Journal |volume=XXV |issue=1580 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=4 July 1874 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=1 (Supplement to the Freeman's Journal) |via=National Library of Australia}} He contested the 1874-75 New South Wales election in the seat of Northern Goldfields, but was defeated.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article235148775 |title=GRAFTON POLICE COURT. |newspaper=The Grafton Argus And Clarence River General Advertiser |volume=II |issue=XLVIII |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 January 1875 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}} In 1880, he was serving as superintendent of the Mudgee Volunteer Fire Brigade.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article70940706 |title=MUDGEE. |newspaper=Australian Town and Country Journal |volume=XXI |issue=525 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=31 January 1880 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=39 |via=National Library of Australia}} He contested the 1882 election in the Mudgee seat, but was defeated.{{cite web | url=https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/electionresults18562007/1882/Mudgee.htm | title=Mudgee - 1882 (Roll: 4,982) - 3 to be elected | publisher=Parliament of New South Wales | work=New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007 | accessdate=24 May 2022}}

Browne was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 1885 New South Wales colonial election.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13601624 |title=MUDGEE (3 MEMBERS). |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |issue=14,847 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=26 October 1885 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} He was defeated in 1887, but returned in a by-election for Wentworth later that year. He was defeated for good in 1889, and moved to Broken Hill and then to Western Australia.{{cite NSW Parliament |title = Mr Thomas Frederic De Courcy Browne (1838-1899) |id=724 |former=Yes |accessdate=23 June 2019}}

Browne returned to Sydney in 1898, where he died from "paralysis of the brain" in October 1899. Several newspapers claimed that he had died at the Callan Park Hospital for the Insane. He was buried at Waverley Cemetery.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article113698008 |title=THE LATE MR. T. F. DECOURCY-BROWNE. |newspaper=Evening News |issue=10,093 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=12 October 1899 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article112294247 |title=GRENFELL. |newspaper=Western Champion |volume=XIII |issue=17 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=20 October 1899 |accessdate=24 May 2022 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}