Walter Brodie

Brodie was born in 1811 in Eastbourne, East Sussex, England, as the sixth of twelve children. His mother was Anna Brodie (1779–1864), the daughter of The Times founder John Walter. His father was Revd Dr Alexander Brodie DD (1773–1828). His parents had married in 1802, and his father had become the Reverend at St Mary's, Eastbourne, in 1809. His grandfather died in 1812, the year after Brodie was born, and his mother inherited 2/16ths of the shares in The Times; the same proportion went to her sister Mary Carden. In 1821, the two sisters and their respective husbands signed an affidavit that clarified that the shares were held by the daughters of The Times founder, and were not the property shared with their husbands. His father died in 1828.{{cite web |last=Wojtczak |first=Helena |title=Anna Brodie 1779–1864 |url= http://www.historyofwomen.org/brodie.html |publisher=historyofwomen.org |access-date=16 May 2013}}

Brodie emigrated to the colony in the early 1840s.{{cite book |title=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Auckland Provincial District |year=1902 |url= https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Cyc02Cycl-t1-body1-d1-d10-d9.html |publisher=The Cyclopedia of New Zealand |author=Cyclopedia Company Limited |access-date= 30 March 2012 |location=Christchurch |chapter=Mr. Walter Brodie}} He returned to England in 1844 and published a book on his experience of New Zealand colonial life titled Remarks on the Past and Present State of New Zealand.{{cite book |last=Brodie |first=Walter |title=Remarks on the Past and Present State of New Zealand |year=1845 |publisher=Whittaker and Co |location=London |url= http://www.enzb.auckland.ac.nz/document/?wid=967 |access-date=29 March 2012}}

Brodie returned to New Zealand, by way of Pitcairn.{{cite web|url=http://mysite.du.edu/~ttyler/pitcairn/1851%20-%20Brodie%20-%20Pitcairns%20Island.htm#front|title=PITCAIRN'S ISLAND, AND THE ISLANDERS, IN 1850|author=Walter Brodie|date=1851|website=Mysite.du.edu|access-date=25 March 2019}}

In 1851, he imported English pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and released them near Mongonui. At around the same time, Thomas Henderson imported Chinese pheasants (Phasianus colchicus torquatus) and released them on his property on his property, now known as the Auckland suburb of Henderson. Pheasants became common game birds in the North Island.{{cite book |title=Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868-1961 |publisher=Royal Society of New Zealand |url= http://rsnz.natlib.govt.nz/volume/rsnz_02/rsnz_02_00_001730.pdf |access-date=29 March 2012|page=80}} Brodie also imported sparrows into New Zealand.

He represented the Suburbs of Auckland electorate in the 2nd New Zealand Parliament, but resigned before the end of his term on 6 December 1859. He did not serve in any subsequent Parliaments.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=97}} He also participated in Auckland provincial politics, representing the Suburbs of Auckland electorate in 1855–1857.{{sfn|Scholefield|1950|p=182}}

Upon receiving his inheritance, which included his mother's shareholding in The Times, Brodie returned to England with his wife and daughter around 1870. His daughter Josephine married George Daniel Moore at Holy Trinity, Paddington, on 1 July 1870.{{cite news|title=Marriages |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=DSC18700916.2.7 |access-date=29 March 2012 |work=Daily Southern Cross |volume=XXVI |issue=4078 |date=16 September 1870|page=2}}

Brodie visited Auckland again in December 1878.{{cite news |title=New Zealand Telegrams |url= http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=CHP18781218.2.13 |access-date=29 March 2012 |work=The Press|volume=XXX |issue=4179 |date=18 December 1878|page=2}} He died in England on 11 September 1884.{{cite news |title=Personal |url=https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH18841203.2.2.5 |access-date=15 April 2017 |work=The New Zealand Herald |volume=XXI |issue=7191 |date=3 December 1884 |page=1}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite book |last= Scholefield |first= Guy |title= New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1949 |authorlink=Guy Scholefield |edition=3rd |orig-year= First ed. published 1913 |year= 1950 |publisher=Govt. Printer |location= Wellington}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-par | nz}}

{{s-bef | before = William Field Porter }}

{{s-ttl | title = Member of Parliament for Suburbs of Auckland | years = 1855–1859 | alongside = Frederick Merriman }}

{{s-aft | after = Theophilus Heale }}

{{end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brodie, Walter}}

Category:1811 births

Category:1884 deaths

Category:Members of the New Zealand House of Representatives

Category:Members of the Auckland Provincial Council

Category:New Zealand MPs for Auckland electorates

Category:People from Eastbourne

Category:British emigrants to New Zealand