Matthew Brisbane

Matthew Brisbane (1787 – 26 August 1833) was a Scottish mariner, sealer and notable figure in the early history of the Falkland Islands.

Early life Little is known of Brisbane's early life. He was born in Perth, Scotland in 1787 but his exact birth date is unknown. It appears that he was a merchant sailor during the Napoleonic Wars but there is no record of his service in the Royal Navy. Brisbane was the commander of the small cutter Beaufoy with a crew of thirteen; the Beaufoy being owned by Weddell. Weddell in the Jane and Brisbane in the Beaufoy left England on 17 September 1822. Weddell initially sailed for Madeira for provisions for the Antarctic voyage, whilst Brisbane headed for Bonavista in the Cape Verde islands for a cargo of salt with which to cure seal skins. Finding none, the pair headed south again and on 20 February 1823 reached 74° 15' S, setting a record for the furthest voyage south that lasted till James Clark Ross's voyage of 1842. This voyage proved to be disastrous: first meeting atrocious weather and then pack ice that damaged the ship, Brisbane made the decision to run for Tierra del Fuego in order to make repairs. Meanwhile, Brisbane continued to organise the survivors sending out patrols in the remaining two boats and setting the crew to work constructing a vessel from the wreck of the Prince of Saxe-Coburg.

Brisbane's third and final shipwreck was aboard the sealer Bellville under the command of Captain Bray. The Breakwater escaped and the Superior was allowed to continue sealing on Vernet's terms. Brisbane was reunited with one of the officer who had saved his life when he was wrecked in the Prince of Saxe-Coburg. Brisbane and Fitzroy had a natural affinity and discussed a broad range of subjects; Fitzroy notes his diary his gratitude for a great deal of information about the Falklands. He recommenced paying the Gauchos in promissory notes issued by Vernet, which led to conflict within the settlement. Thomas Helsby, a clerk in the employ of Vernet, wrote an account of the murders.

At around ten in the morning, Helsby departed Brisbane's house to buy some oil from William Dickson, whom he found at the house of Antonio Wagner. Other people there included Daniel McKay and Joseph Douglas. On leaving, as he passed the house of Santiago Lopez, Helsby encountered the murderers. The gang was led by Rivero and comprised José María Luna, Juan Brasido, Manuel Gonzales, Luciano Flores, Manuel Godoy, Felipe Salagar and Lattorre. They were armed with "muskets, pistols, swords, dirks and knives".

This was the fate of an honest, industrious, and most faithful man: of a man who feared no danger, and despised hardships. He was murdered by villains, because he defended the property of his friend; he was mangled by them to satisfy their hellish spite; dragged by a lasso, at a horse's heels, away from the houses, and left to be eaten by dogs. A simple wooden memorial was erected inscribed with:

The wooden marker remained until 1906 by which time it had become illegible through weathering, it was replaced with another marked with the same inscription. In 1933, it was replaced with a marble slab laid by Governor O'Grady. The replacement wooden marker is now in Stanley museum.

There is a Brisbane Road in Stanley. Brisbane is also memorialised by Cape Brisbane and Mount Beaufoy on Henderson Island in Tierra del Fuego and by Brisbane Heights on Coronation Island in the South Orkney Islands.