Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (1818-1866), actor, was a seasoned theatre performer by his early teens; at fourteen, he played Richard III. He toured provincial theatres of England, Scotland and Ireland before making his Broadway debut as Othello in late 1851. Having appeared at Drury Lane, in June 1853 he was engaged by George Coppin to tour Australia and New Zealand. He began as Othello, his signature role; turns as Hamlet, Macbeth, Rob Roy, Richard III, Shylock, Iago and Romeo followed. He played Geelong, Melbourne, Sydney (where he played Henry IV and Lear); in 1856 he toured the goldfields, Hobart, Adelaide and Sydney again. Too many farewells from the stage, as well as frequent drunkenness, eroded his popularity and he returned to England in 1861. Derisive notices ensued, and his career dribbled out in provincial theatres, ending in Belfast in 1865. Coppin's having engaged him for a further two-year tour of Australia, he embarked on the London in January 1866, but it sank six days out from Plymouth. Brooke helped other passengers onto the lifeboats, but stayed behind himself to die.
