Garland Hawthorn Brahe Lawyers is a medium-sized legal firm whose origins in Melbourne date back to 1856. We are proud of our heritage and reputation.

In 2006 we commemorated our 150th anniversary. It’s a notable achievement, we believe, for a legal firm to provide continuous client service for 150 years.

Founding Partners

In addition to their legal work, the three founding partners had other significant responsibilities.

John Macgregor was a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1862 to 1874. During this period he was Minister for Mines, Vice-President of the Board of Land and Works, a Commissioner for Railways and Roads and a member of the Royal Commissions for Inter-colonial Legislation and the Federal Union.

Robert Ramsay was a member of the Legislative Assembly in 1870 and remained in politics until his death in 1882. During this time he was Postmaster General for Victoria, Minister for Public Instruction, Chief Secretary and Minister for Education. He was Chief Secretary during the times of the notorious Kelly Gang and sent the special train which greatly assisted in the capture of the bushrangers.

William Alexander Brahe was appointed Consul for Prussia in 1868 and Consul for the North German Confederation in 1869. On the re-establishment of the German Empire in 1870 he was appointed Consul for the German Empire; a position he held for twenty-five years.

This booklet outlines the history of the firm.