Grace Vernon Bussell

Grace Vernon Drake-Brockman (nee Bussell) - was born at "Ellensbrook", Margaret River on 23 September 1860. When Grace was 16 years of age, an Aboriginal stockman named Sam Issacs who was working for her family, burst in to the homestead at Calgardup on 1 December 1876, to announce a steamship had run aground on rocks offshore and was floundering. Grace and Sam quickly gathered their horses and galloped down to a desolate beach on the then wild south-west coast of West Australia. Offshore the coastal steamer Georgette was aground and breaking up fast in the pounding surf. Passengers had been bundled into a lifeboat, but it had overturned 100 yards out. Now women and children were clinging to it for their lives or struggling in the water. Sam and Grace spurred their horses into the raging surf and forced their panting animals to swim out to the boat. There Grace hauled children on to her saddle and shouted to others to cling to her skirt, her stirrup leathers, even the horse's tail. Then the horse was turned shoreward's and completed the first of many trips that ultimately rescued 50 people from the wreck. Only a small number of passengers perished. The girl's name was Grace Bussell and her daring rescue deed made her famous as Australia's greatest heroine and she was awarded the Silver Medal by the Royal Humane Society. Sam Issacs was given a house and some land for his part in the rescue. A similar incident of bravery had previously taken place in England so Grace Bussell became known as the "Grace Darling of Australia". The town of Gracetown and Lake Grace were named after her. Her future husband, Frederick Slade Drake-Brockman was so impressed with this young lady, he rode his horse all the way from Perth to Grace's home just to meet her. Obviously she was too young at this time to get married, however, his persistence was rewarded with Grace and Frederick being married at Busselton on 28 February 1882, six years after the rescue.