BROOKESMITH, Frank, c.1860–1932

Born probably in Devon, England, son of an army surgeon who served in New Zealand from 1872 and after hostilities ceased stayed on, scettling in Martin and working as a doctor there. Sometime after his death, his widow remarried and went with her husband to Invercargill–Frank Brookesmith accompanied them. He at first trained as a lawyer and in Dunedin had art lessons from one of the Moultrays, and was secretary of a small Bohemian art club of which O'Keeffe was a member. Although he at first worked in a law firm in Invercargill, he married an Invercargill girl and they moved to Melbourne. He studied there and worked as an artist relatively successfully, painting and teaching, until conditions were poor during the slump in 1905. Returned with his wife and children to Invercargill: for a short time was art master at Invercargill Boys' High School, but on not being allowed to take private pupils he left the school and taught privately and painted, sending his pictures to the art societies in the major New Zealand centres. Exhibited OAS 1886–90, 1905–20; NZ International Ex Chch 1906–07. Represented in Hocken and Invercargill Art Gallery.