Family background
Henry Albert Brigg was born on 30 March 1848 St Luke Middlesex England, son of John Thomas Brigg and Sarah Ann nee Wright.He arrived at Sydney on the Wilson Kennedy on 27 December 1852 with his parents. On 14 April 1871 he married Jane Cooke at Sydney. There were six sons and four daughters of the marriage. He died at Lindfield on 3 July 1950, aged 102 years, Jane Brigg died at Bellevue Hill on 1 June 1931, aged 85 years.
Occupation & interests
A self-employed builder and contractor, Brigg obtained substantial contracts for railway and tramway work from the Public Works Department, the Water and Sewerage Board, the City Council and from leading architects over 60 years. Brigg left an estate valued at 100,073 pounds for probate purposes.
Community activity
Brigg visited the United States of America in 1921 carrying out a comprehensive report on the methods of roadway construction there and, on his return, informed engineers of American roadbuilding practice. The use of asphalt predominated for city roads there, while wood blocks, concrete, bricks and cobble stones were used for street paving.
Local government service
Henry Albert Brigg seemed preoccupied with law and order issues in Glebe during 1924. His response to an increase in law-breaking was to suggest severe penalties – solitary confinement, putting offenders in irons and the whipping of boys. He also told Glebe Council in 1924 that more protection was needed in parts of Glebe where, he said, women could not walk along the street without being assaulted.
References
Sydney Morning Herald 8 July 1950 p. 4 Obituary
Sydney Morning Herald 17 October 1921 p. 9
Sydney Morning Herald 7 August 1924 p. 12; 11 October 1924 p. 17
NSW Parliamentary Papers 1914-15, 5, pp. 715-16