International entrepreneur, welfare worker, writer and china painter was born in West Guildford, Western Australia, third daughter of surveyor Frederick Slade Drake-Brockman and his wife the shipwreck heroine Grace Vernon Bussell. Deborah was one of the few girls educated at Guildford Grammar School. She was an individualist from an early age, an intrepid rider, caver and later skier. In 1905 aged eighteen and against family approval she married wealthy and influential lawyer and newspaper proprietor John Winthrop Hackett (1848-1916) forty years her senior. She had five children who all became successful. The daughters were a lawyer, doctor and linguist while her son became a General and Principal of King’s College, University of London.

The Hacketts took an active interest in the cultural life of the city of Perth. As a Member of the Legislative Council Winthrop Hackett was instrumental in the foundation of many public utilities. Deborah Hackett painted the local wildflowers and wrote a book on household management, which included garden design. From 1906 she was a member and Patron of the West Australian Society of Arts but did not exhibit. It is probable that she learnt china painting from the Misses Creeth. Works of hers are in the collection of the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

The couple travelled frequently and entertained lavishly until her husband died in 1916. In 1918 she married Sir Frank Moulden, solicitor and Lord Mayor of Adelaide. She re-established the South Australian National Council of Women, which had been in abeyance for twelve years. In 1923 she established a syndicate to mine tantalite in Western Australia and she had interests in wolfram and beryl in Queensland and a pastoral company “Minilya” in Western Australia. She had acquired her interest and knowledge of geology from her father and was a force in promoting her mines internationally. She was also a pioneer of air travel, chartering single engine planes to fly in the outback and was a passenger on the first commercial flight from Australia to England. Her second husband died and in 1936 she married Justice Basil Buller Murphy and became known as Dr Buller Murphy.

She was awarded an honorary LDD by the University of Western Australia. She was a prominent society hostess in Melbourne and active in many charities. She published An Attempt to Eat the Moon a book of Aboriginal legends in 1958. She died that year and was buried in Karrakatta cemetery beside her first husband. A true philanthropist she had contributed to many causes concerned with the welfare of women and children.

Writers:

Erickson, Dorothy (Dr)

Date written:

2011

Last updated:

2011