Maitland Brown Memorial

The Maitland Brown Memorial is a granite structure in Esplanade Park featuring a seated statue mounted on a substantial base adorned with several plaques. The composition brings together the original sculpture with later inscriptions that form the complete monument.

The memorial was established in 1913 to commemorate three explorers who died during an 1864 expedition in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. This period reflected the era of early exploration missions into remote Australian territories.

The memorial displays two contrasting plaques that represent different viewpoints: one from 1913 reflects the colonial perspective, while a 1994 addition presents Aboriginal understandings of these same events. Walking around the structure, you can observe how the same story has been told in different ways across generations.

The memorial is located in a park setting in Fremantle and is easily accessible from a central position in the area. The surroundings are open, offering clear views of the structure from multiple angles.

The monument represents a rare case of public memorial modification, where additional plaques were added over time to present multiple historical perspectives. This approach allows visitors to compare colonial narratives with their more recent reexamination in a single location.