Mary Higham

Mary Higham (1819–1883) was a merchant in Fremantle, Western Australia, and a founding member of the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce. She founded M. Higham and Sons, a clothing and furniture emporium.

Life Higham had lived in Northamptonshire or Oxfordshire established a substantial enterprise M. Higham and Sons, dealing in a variety of goods such as clothing, furnishing and tents. She ran this emporium in addition to the bakery cum sweet shop that her husband had established. Highams Buildings are on the corner of Market and High Street in Fremantle (this picture is from 1933). Higham was denied access to a number of organisations owing to her gender but this did not prevent her becoming a founding member of the Fremantle Chamber of Commerce. Where necessary she would send her son Edward to represent her. In 1870 Edward became a partner in the company and he also set out on a political career. An early success was to become the chairman of the Fremantle Roads Board at a meeting at his mother's house in 1871. This committee was to become important in time and is seen today as the early start of the City of Cockburn. (That committee became the Cockburn Districts Road Board in 1955 and population growth meant that a new town was both demanded and justifiable. )

Higham's business thrived and the bakery, confectionery, clothing and furnishing created an emporium. The retail business created profits that allowed diversification into pearling and fishing. In 1875, the business was taking delivery of a 20-metre locally built schooner, Brothers, which they had ordered for pearl fishing. However it was never used for this as it was used for salvage for a year and shortly afterwards it was lost.

Higham died in Fremantle in 1883 and was buried in Fremantle Cemetery. The book written to guide visitors around the cemetery include her amongst the other 35 notables recommended for attention by visitors. Higham had passed her business to her son John in 1881 Higham was said to have four children at the time of her death, who were all left a substantial inheritance.

Legacy The site of the shop on the High Street and Market Street corner was developed and is now the location of listed buildings called the Higham's Buildings. These buildings remained in the Higham family until 1974.