Biography

Harold Brownrigg was born at Launceston in 1875, the youngest son of Canon Marcus Blake Brownrigg,’ rector of St. John’s Church at the time, and of Georgina Shapcote.

In 1879 the Brownrigg family moved into the newly constructed parsonage, as it was called in those days, built next door to the church. The family’s association with the church was to extend for several generations.

Harold was educated at home by his mother. He spent two years at the Launceston High School, which was run by Mr E. A. Nathan in what is now Milton Hall, Frederick Street.

In 1887 the family moved to Queensland owing to the father’s ill health, and four years later they returned to live in Launceston after the Reverend Brownrigg’s death.

Harold became employed at the Postal Department, and took up his association with St. John’s Church again, becoming first a teacher, then the superintendent of the Sunday School. He had a great appreciation of church music and was a member of the choir for forty years. He was largely responsible by his generous donations for the alterations and additions to the organ in the 1930s to 1950s, for example, building the western and southern fronts of speaking pipes.

He was a churchwarden at St. John’s from 1938 to 1955, and for many of those years, rector’s warden. He was also a member of the first Vestry of that church formed in 1935. For many years he read the lessons at Sunday services, and after his retirement he spent much of his time at the church showing visitors over the historic building.

He was an active member of the Church Missionary Society, and a member of the Board of Broadland House School. In his earlier years he was a keen tennis player and, following his father’s great interest in art and photography, Harold became a well-respected amateur photographer. His many pictures of St. Johns Church have been carefully preserved as the ‘Brownrigg Collection’ housed at the church. He was the first to show moving pictures in Launceston, and screenings took place in old St. John’s Hall.

On 13^th April 1910, he married Louisa Mary Jones, daughter of J. F. Jones. They had two children, Hedley Blake died in infancy and Sybil Mary.

Harold died, after a long illness, on 26^th January 1956, and, as a tribute from his fellow parishioners, a full choral funeral service was held at St. John’s. A further section of the great pipe organ was given in his memory, and a brass plaque above the choir stalls bears the inscription:

THE CLARINET STOP IN THIS ORGAN
IS A MEMORIAL TO HAROLD BLAKE BROWNRIGG 1875 – 1956
FOR MANY YEARS CHOIR MEMBER,
SUNDA Y SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, AND CHURCHWARDEN

(Extract from Engraved in Memory by J.S.Gill. 1988)