Thomas Brimage

Brimage was born in Ratcliff, London, England, to Emma (née Atkinson) and Thomas Brimage. He moved to Port Pirie, South Australia, as a small child, where his father became the harbour master. After leaving school, Brimage completed an engineering apprenticeship with South Australian Railways, and was then employed as a mechanical draughtsman. He moved to Western Australia in 1894, during the gold rush, and initially set up as a consulting engineer in Coolgardie. Brimage later moved to Kalgoorlie and established himself as a land agent and sharebroker. He became general manager of one major mine and a consulting engineer on several smaller ones, and also pegged out several mining claims of his own.[1]

In 1896, Brimage was elected to the East Coolgardie Road Board (renamed the Kalgoorlie Road Board in 1897). He served until 1899, including as chairman for a period. Brimage entered parliament at the 1900 Legislative Council election, winning a six-year term as one of three members for the new South Province. He transferred to North-East Province at the 1906 election, but was defeated in his bid for re-election in 1912, losing to Hal Colebatch (a future premier) in East Province. After leaving politics, Brimage worked as a hotelkeeper, living for periods in Kojonup, Katanning, Northam, and Narrogin.[2] He died in Narrogin in May 1915, aged 48, after a long illness.[3] He had married Marie Louise Reynolds in 1896, with whom he had four children.[1]

• Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council