Frederick Josias Brearley was born in 1865 in Ashbourne, Victoria near the Macedon Ranges. His English parents, Thomas Brearley, was 27 and his mother, Alice nee Pratt, was 30, were married at the Prestbury in Cheshire England on the 21st of May 1863.
It is thought they emigrated by ship from England to Port Phillip sometime before 1865.
Frederick married Mary Oldrieve in 1897.
Mary was born in 1867 in Bendigo to parents Robert Oldrieve and Annie King and she grew up with her parents at house number 37 Miller street West Melbourne from 1894 until she married.
Frederick and Mary had two children, Norman and Cecil, and for a time they lived at 555 Queensberry Street North Melbourne (previously known as 155), very close to Miller Street.
Frederick became an architect, below is a list of some of his work.
Brearley, architect for a two-story home in Wilson Street Princess Hill (Carlton) in September 1889 found in the Burchett index. The owner of the home was J Cormack and the builders were Miles & Cormack, 143 Leicester Street.
F Brearley, 1896, Adderley Street West Melbourne, house.
FE Brearley, 1910, Peel Street North Melbourne, Two story brick house.
FJ Brearley, 1899, Rosslyn Street, West Melbourne, 3 cottages
FJ Brearley, 1909, 9 Princes Street, North Melbourne, 2 story shop & dwelling.
FJ Brearley, 1909, 199 Queensberry Street North Melbourne, Brick shop and house.
FJ Brearley, 1903, Flemington Rd Royal Park, Brick villa.
Frederick Brearley, 1889, Cranborne house for H. Nurse Esq.
Frederick J Brearley, 1892, Chapel in Ascot Vale.
Frederick Brearley, 1891, Boot Factory in Collingwood.
Frederick Brearley, 1895, Atkin Street North Melbourne, Brick Bakehouse.
Frederick Brearley, 1895, Abbotsford Street North Melbourne, 2 story dwelling.
Frederick Brearley, 1901, Wolseley Pde Flemington, Brick residence.
Frederick Brearley, 1893, brick additions to Pratt’s estate North Melbourne.
Frederick Brearley, 1902, Shiel Street North Melbourne, 2 story brick residence.
Frederick Brearley, 1891, Charles Street St Kilda, brick cottages.
Frederick Brearley, 1889, erection of a wood parsonage CoE, Cranbourne.
Frederick Brearley, 1890, extension to Caulfield Grammar School for Rev EJ Barnette.
Sources: Melbourne council rate books, Public Record Office of Victoria, Birth’s Deaths & Marriages Victoria, Burchett Index and maps.melbourne.vic.gov.au.