CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <meta http-equiv="imagetoolbar" content="no" /> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"/> <script type="application/ld+json"> {"@context":"https://schema.org/","@type":"Article","about":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Frederic","additionalName":"Race","familyName":"Godfrey","name":"Frederic Race Godfrey","birthDate":"1828-05-11","birthPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"Bellary","addressRegion":"Karnataka","addressCountry":"India"}},"deathDate":"1910-09-11","deathPlace":{"@type":"Place","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","addressLocality":"St Kilda, Melbourne","addressRegion":"Victoria","addressCountry":"Australia"}}},"author":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Margaret","familyName":"Gravell","name":"Margaret Gravell"},"datePublished":"1972-01-01","description":"Frederic Race Godfrey (1828-1910), squatter and businessman, was born on 11 May 1828 at Bellary, India, son of Colonel John Race Godfrey and his wife Jane Octavia, née Woodhouse.","headline":"Godfrey, Frederic Race (1828–1910)","keywords":"Frederic Race Godfrey, biography","isPartOf":{"@type":"Book","bookEdition":4,"bookFormat":"https://schema.org/Hardcover","datePublished":1972,"description":"The Australian Dictionary of Biography contains concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.","image":"https://adb.anu.edu.au/images/covers/volume4.png","isbn":522840345,"name":"Australian Dictionary of Biography","url":"https://adb.anu.edu.au","copyrightHolder":{"@type":"Organization","name":"The Australian National University","url":"https://www.anu.edu.au"},"copyrightYear":1972,"editor":{"@type":"Person","givenName":"Douglas","familyName":"Pike","name":"Douglas Pike"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Melbourne University Press","url":"https://www.mup.com.au"}}} </script> <title>Biography - Frederic Race Godfrey - Australian Dictionary of Biography</title> <script async src="https://ssl.google-analytics.com/ga.js"></script> <script> var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-21252809-2']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); </script> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-RC1X4D063Z"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-RC1X4D063Z'); </script> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/css/multi.php;reset.css,fixes.css,site/adb/generic.css,structure-common.css,site/adb/structure-site.css,infinite.css,shadowbox.css;208393d011387c3a59dadfeafd900bc7"/> <script type="text/javascript"> var settings = {"site_code":"adb","sites":{"adb":"adb.anu.edu.au","ia":"ia.anu.edu.au","la":"labouraustralia.anu.edu.au","oa":"oa.anu.edu.au","pa":"peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au","pib":"pib.anu.edu.au","wa":"womenaustralia.anu.edu.au"}}; </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/js/multi.php;jquery.min.js,jqueryui/jquery-ui.custom.min.js,clearFocus.js,searchBox.js,facets.js,common-utils.js,advanced-search.js,shadowbox/shadowbox.js;ab3d74aadfe94baccb25019eb300b75e"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/site/adb/print.css" type="text/css" media="print"/> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/images/site/adb/favicon.ico"/> <style> .navi:hover { border-bottom: 0px; } </style> </head> <body class="site_adb"><script type="text/javascript">document.body.className += " js";</script> <header> <div id="masthead"> <div class="clearFix" id="topNav"> <ul> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au">Obituaries Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au">People Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://ia.anu.edu.au">Indigenous Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://womenaustralia.anu.edu.au">Women Australia</a></li> <li><a href="https://labouraustralia.anu.edu.au">Labour Australia</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="tileAndSearchContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="titleAndSearchPage"> <h1 class="hideFromScreen">Australian Dictionary of Biography</h1> <ul id="searchSubmitPage"> <li> <form action="/biographies/search/" method="get" id="mastheadSearchForm"> <select id="scopeSelect" name="scope" onChange="searchBox.setTip();"> <option value="person">person</option> <option value="all" selected="selected">text</option> </select> <input name="query" type="text" class="searchTextInput clearMeFocus" title="Quick search" value="" /> <input name="" type="image" class="searchBttns" src="/images/site/adb/bttn_search.png" alt="Search" /> <input name="rs" type="hidden" value=''/> </form> </li> <li id="personTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> searches only the name field</span> </li> <li id="allTip" class="searchTip"> <span><strong>Tip:</strong> Use double quotes to search for a phrase</span></li> </ul>  </div> <nav class="main-navigation"> <ul class="navigation-menu"> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/">Home</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/about-us/">About</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--admin"> <a class="menu-link" href="/contact-us/">Contact</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/projects/">Projects</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--content"> <a class="menu-link" href="/essays/browse/">Group Bios</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/advanced-search/">Advanced Search</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search"> <a class="menu-link" href="/facets/">Faceted Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--search" id="browseTab"> <a class="menu-link" href="#browsePanel">Browse</a> </li> <li class="menu-item menu-item--donate"> <a class="menu-link" href="/adb-endowment-fund/">Donate</a> </li> </ul> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="panel js-hide" id="browsePanel"> <div class="panelInner clearFix"> <div class="column0203 noh3float"> <div class="browseLabelWrapper"> <h3 class="browseLabel">Browse by:</h3> </div> <div class="browseOptionWrapper"> <ul class="panelInnerNav clearFix"> <li><a href="/biographies/name/">Name</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/birth/">Date of Birth</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/death/">Date of Death</a></li> <li><a href="/biographies/browse-author/">Author</a></li> <li><a href="/entities/browse/?otype=map">Maps</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="culturalWarning" data-nosnippet="true"> <h2 class="culturalWarning__heading"><span class="culturalWarning__heading--decoration">Cultural Advice</span></h2> <div class="culturalWarning__message"> <p>Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains names, images, and voices of deceased persons.</p> <p>In addition, some articles contain terms or views that were acceptable within mainstream Australian culture in the period in which they were written, but may no longer be considered appropriate.</p> <p>These articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian National University.</p> <p>Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context.</p> </div> <div class="culturalWarning__control"> <button id="culturalWarningHide" class="culturalWarning__button">Hide message</button> </div> </div> </header> <div id="pageContentContainer"> <div class="clearFix" id="pageContent"> <div id="pageColumnMain"> <h2>Frederic Race Godfrey (1828–1910)</h2> <p class="authorName">by <a href="/biographies/author/?author=1517">Margaret Gravell</a></p> <div class="publish-notice publish-notice--major-project" style="background-color:#dee9f2;color:#153449;"> <p>This article was published:</p> <ul> <li> in the <a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biographies/project/?name=australian-dictionary-biography-volume-4" style="color:#905d27;"> <span class="publish-notice__project-name">Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 4</span> </a> , 1972 </li> <li>online in 2006</li> </ul> </div> <div class="biographyContent textContent" id="5631">  <p> Frederic Race Godfrey (1828-1910), squatter and businessman, was born on 11 May 1828 at Bellary, India, son of Colonel John Race Godfrey and his wife Jane Octavia, née Woodhouse. He was educated at Exeter Grammar School and at 19 migrated to Port Phillip to become the partner of his brother Henry who in 1846 had taken up Boort station, 64,000 acres (25,900 ha) in the Loddon district, where he was the first white settler. In 1850, by converting a swamp into Lake Boort, Frederic became a pioneer of irrigation. He had close contact with the local Aboriginals, one of whom described him as 'the Loddon blacks' best friend'. Later as vice-chairman of the Aborigines Protection Board and as a commissioner reporting on the Aboriginals in 1877 he defended them as intelligent, industrious and honest. While at Boort he sold much stock to the Bendigo goldfields. On 29 April 1854 at St Kilda he married Margaret Lilias, daughter of David Chambers; they had five sons and four daughters.</p> <p> In 1863 Godfrey sold Boort, moved to Mount Ridley, Craigieburn, and, because he claimed that his tenure in Victoria was threatened by the land laws, bought Pevensey station near Hay in New South Wales. He lived at Mount Ridley for seventeen years, sending stock to the Melbourne markets. He was also active in local government as president of the Merriang Shire Council and member of the Broadmeadows council. In 1874-77 he represented East Bourke in the Legislative Assembly. His rule in politics was to support measures rather than men, thus avoiding party loyalties and attempting to exercise his individual judgment.</p> <p> Godfrey moved to St Kilda in 1880 and became a founding director of the Trustees, Executors and Agency Co. Ltd, Melbourne, serving as chairman in 1895-1909. In 1890 he was appointed an honorary commissioner of the Savings Bank. An aspect of his agricultural interest was his original membership of the old Port Phillip Farmers' Association which merged into the Royal Agricultural Society. A prominent Anglican, he was a member of the Church of England Association; he had been appointed the first lay canon of St Paul's Cathedral in 1869 and held other church offices. He showed varied interests as a member of the Melbourne Club for fifty-eight years and its president in 1887, as a justice of the peace, president of the Melbourne Hospital Committee in 1887-1904, commissioner of the State Savings Bank from 1890, member of the committee of the Felton Bequest in 1904-09, founder and vice-president of the Philatelic Society of Victoria in 1892 and a member of the royal commission on charitable institutions in 1890-91. Interested in natural history, he became a member of the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria in 1863 and served as its elected president for several years. With <a href="le-souef-albert-alexander-cochrane-4013" title="Le Souef, Albert Alexander Cochrane (1828 - 1902)">Albert Le Souef</a> he established the Government Reserve at Gembrook for the Acclimatisation Society and acted also on the committee for the preservation of Wilson's Promontory.</p> <p> Godfrey's first wife died in 1895 and on 3 October 1898 at St John's Church, Darlinghurst, Sydney, he married Marian, daughter of Richard Walker; they had no children. Godfrey died at St Kilda on 11 September 1910. His enterprise and industry showed that he 'loved Australia and endeavoured to foster a true British spirit of strict honour and industry and patriotism to God, King and Country'.</p> </div> <div class="infoList"> <h3>Select Bibliography</h3> <ul> <li>A. Sutherland et al, <i>Victoria and its Metropolis</i>, vol 2 (Melb, 1888)</li><li>J. Smith (ed), <i>Cyclopedia of Victoria</i>, vol 1 (Melb, 1903)</li><li>A. S. Kenyon, <i>Story of Australia: Its Discoveries and Founders</i> (Geelong, no date)</li><li>M. L. Drought (ed), <i>Extracts from Old Journals</i> (written by Frederic Race Godfrey (pioneer) of Boort Station, Loddon District, Victoria, 1846-1953</li><li>compiled in 1926 by his eldest daughter M.L. Drought)</li><li>A. Henderson (ed), <i>Early Pioneer Families of Victoria and Riverina</i> (Melb, 1936)</li><li>M. Cannon, <i>The Land Boomers</i> (Melb, 1966)</li><li>Godfrey diary (privately held).</li> </ul> </div> <div class="infoList"> <div class="treelink"><h3 class="treelink">Related Entries in NCB Sites</h3><p class="treelink"><a class="treelink" href="/treeview/3624">view family tree</a></p></div> <ul> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/drought-mary-lillias-24369">Drought, Mary Lillias</a> (daughter)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/drought-mary-lillias-24369"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/godfrey-ethel-augusta-30667">Godfrey, Ethel Augusta</a> (daughter)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/godfrey-ethel-augusta-30667"><img src="/images/site/oa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to Obituaries Australia entry" title="go to Obituaries Australia entry"/></a></span></li> <li><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/drought-charles-frederic-24370/text33114">Drought, Charles Frederic</a> (grandson)<span class="linkicon"><a href="https://peopleaustralia.anu.edu.au/biography/drought-charles-frederic-24370/text33114"><img src="/images/site/pa/siteIcon.jpg" alt="go to People Australia entry" title="go to People Australia entry"/></a></span></li> </ul> </div> <div class="citation"> <h3>Citation details</h3> <p>Margaret Gravell, 'Godfrey, Frederic Race (1828–1910)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/godfrey-frederic-race-3624/text5631, published first in hardcopy 1972, accessed online 25 November 2024.</p> <p id="origPubDetails"><strong>This article was published in hardcopy in <em><strong>Australian Dictionary of Biography</strong></em>, Volume 4, (Melbourne University Press), 1972</strong></p> <p style="margin-top: 20px;">View the <a href="/frontpages/fp4.pdf" target="_blank">front pages</a> for Volume 4</p> </div> <div id="printFooter"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2024</p> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> $(function() { Shadowbox.init({ counterType: 'skip', continuous: true, overlayOpacity: 0.80 }); }); </script> <div id="pageSidebar"> <div class="lifeSummary"> <h3>Life Summary <span><a href ="/lifesummary/godfrey-frederic-race-3624" target="_blank">[details]</a></span></h3> <h5>Birth</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/birth/?bdate=11051828">11 May</a>, <a href="/biographies/birth/?bdate=1828">1828</a> <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Bellary%2C%20Karnataka%2C%20India%22">Bellary</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22Karnataka%2C%20India%22">Karnataka</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=birthLocation%3A%22India%22">India</a> </p> <h5>Death</h5> <p> <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=11091910">11 September</a>, <a href="/biographies/death/?ddate=1910">1910</a> (aged 82) <br /> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22St%20Kilda%2C%20Melbourne%2C%20Victoria%2C%20Australia%22">St Kilda, Melbourne</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Victoria%2C%20Australia%22">Victoria</a>, <a href="/biographies/search/?query=deathLocation%3A%22Australia%22">Australia</a> </p> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Cultural Heritage</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-cultural"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-cultural"> Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=ethnicity%3A%22English%22">English</a> </li> </ul> <div class="life-summary__heading-container"> <h5 class="life-summary__heading--note">Religious Influence</h5> <button class="life-summary__note-button" title="View explanatory note" data-note-text-id="life-summary-religious"> <img src="/images/down_arrow.png" class="life-summary__button-image"> </button> </div> <p class="life-summary__note-text" id="life-summary-religious"> Includes the religion in which subjects were raised, have chosen themselves, attendance at religious schools and/or religious funeral rites; Atheism and Agnosticism have been included. </p><ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/search/?query=religion%3A%22Anglican%22">Anglican</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Occupation or Descriptor </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=company%20director&rpp=200">company director</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=grazier%20%28unspecified%29&rpp=200">grazier (unspecified)</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=local%20government%20councillor&rpp=200">local government councillor</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=local%20government%20head&rpp=200">local government head</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=Member%20of%20Lower%20House&rpp=200">Member of Lower House</a> </li> <li> <a href="/biographies/occupation/?occupation=protector%20of%20Aboriginals&rpp=200">protector of Aboriginals</a> </li> </ul> <h5> Key Places </h5> <ul> <li> <a href="/entity/14540?eid=14880">Coranderrk Station (Vic)</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer> <div class="clearFix" id="footer"> <h3>Australian Dictionary of Biography</h3> <p>An initiative of the <a href="https://history.cass.anu.edu.au/centres/ncb">National Centre of Biography</a> at the <a href="https://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a></p> <div class="clearFix"> <p class="floatLeft">© Copyright Australian Dictionary of Biography, 2006-2024</p> <p class="floatLeft cdp"><a href="/copyright/">Copyright</a> · <a href="/disclaimer/">Disclaimer</a> · <a href="/privacy/">Privacy Policy</a> · <a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></p> </div> </div> </footer> </body> </html>