Denis Gerard Brophy (1937 – 2023)

Weather Observer, Wilkes 1964

From Allan Moore:

“Part of a Tributes Notice in The Canberra Times newspaper on January 5 advised as follows :- Denis Brophy, Lifelong Canberran, passed peacefully in Sydney aged 86 years. Father of Jacqueline, Sonya, Alana and Brendan, brother, uncle and friend to many. A solitary man who pursued his love of nature, music, poetry, history, wildlife and those roads less travelled … Rest in peace Tuan. (Private Service held 27 December 2023).

Denis commenced duty in the Department of Treasury in 1955 and was recruited by ANARE to serve at Wilkes station during 1964 as a weather observer. He returned to Treasury at the expedition’s conclusion and later transferred to the former Department of External Affairs (now DFAT) in 1970.

During a long career with DFAT Denis served at a number of Australian overseas diplomatic missions including Jakarta, Washington DC, Colombo, Port Moresby, Honiara, Nuku’alofa and Hanoi. He was most often the Senior Administrative Officer, and Consul. He held a number of positions within the department when back in Canberra and acquitted himself well. He had a great deal of finance and consular experience, in Canberra and overseas. It seems he may have taken early retirement in 1989.

Not forgotten, although 30 years had elapsed, in October 1998 Denis attended a presentation of Antarctic Medallions at Parliament House, hosted by Senator Margaret Reid, President of the Senate, together with six fellow Antarctic expeditioner recipients who served down South between 1950 – 1968. A small reception for the group followed.

At Parliament House
LEFT TO RIGHT:  ROY WHITWORTH – WILKES 1964, GEORGE COOK – MAWSON 66, MACQUARIE IS. 1968, SENATOR MARGARET REID – PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, DENIS BROPHY – WILKES 1964, REG FROST – MACQUARIE IS. 1950, HEARD IS 1952, MACQUARIE 1961, ALAN DUKE – MAWSON – 1966, ALLAN MOORE – MAWSON 1963 AND 1965, RON MURRAY – MAWSON 1966

As a long-time colleague of Denis with whom I had a good and friendly relationship, Denis was always interesting and could speak on a wide range of issues. His mind was sharp and enquiring – a great problem solver. While nearly sixty years have elapsed since his Wilkes expedition, undoubtedly the numbers of his colleagues will have diminished, however, he was widely known and respected in DFAT and will certainly be sadly missed by those friends and colleagues.”