Patrick Brammall discovers his Tasmanian roots on Who Do You Think You Are

Much loved Australian actor Patrick Brammall is diving into his family history on a popular SBS show — which brought him to the Apple Isle.

Patrick Brammall with David Robson at Cottage in Randwick, NSW. Photo: Courtesy of SBS

Australian actor Patrick Brammall says he’s strangely always been drawn to Tasmania, and during a journey of discovery, he was blown away to find out why that is.

The Logie-winning actor has opened up about discovering his family’s strong ties to Tasmania as he takes part in the latest season of Who Do You Think You Are?

Speaking with the Mercury, Mr Brammall said the experience “woke up a whole bunch of ghosts” for him.

“It was an emotional experience for sure because of the way they reveal the information,” he said.

“It feels very personal and you construct a narrative as you go so you feel as if you are moving through time with these people, with these forbears.

“I remember sitting down with the producer beforehand and she was like look, is there anything you don’t want to know? And I was like, no, I want to know it all. You know, if it’s bad stuff, let’s hear about it.”

Patrick Brammall with Dr Kate Bagnall at Narryna the Merchant House, Hobart, Tasmania. Photo: Courtesy of SBS.

Returning to Tasmania twice to explore his story on both his mother’s side and his father’s, Brammall said he was struck by the way his family history was echoed in his family today.

“With my great great grandfather on my mother’s side, there was kind of a bombshell about him and where he was from,” he said.

“I discovered something in his experience that was lost in family lore, you know.

“There were rumours, there were kind of jokes about it and it’s not that long ago, but that information was deliberately lost because of shame.

“This was in the 1800s and the echo of that story, the resonance of it was not lost on me because my wife and I have these two mixed-race kids so it was a really comforting and beautiful thing to think that it’s not a modern idea for families to come from different places and it reinforces how connected we all are regardless of time.”

Patrick Brammall with Dr Josie Vine at Old Mercury Building, Hobart Tasmania. Photo: Courtesy of SBS.

Brammall said he feels “privileged” to bear the truth of his family’s story, developing a sense of pride in the people he was learning about.

“I think honestly, acceptance is the strongest thing we have. You know, how can you get along in life when you’re living in denial about who you are and where you’re from?”

“On the other side, on the storyline of my great-grandfather on my dad’s side, it turns out he was a great man. I’m very pleased to be able to get his story told as well.”

Reflecting on his time in Hobart, Brammall said he had always been drawn to Tasmania.

“I just love Hobart and I’ve always felt a bit of a link, strangely to Tasmania. I don’t know if that’s a real thing or whether that’s because I’ve got family that comes from there, but what blew me away was I went back twice,” he said.

“I went for the first story they did on my mother’s line which took us to Hobart. Then we came back to Sydney to regroup and I thought, ‘oh, where are we going next?’ And we went back to Hobart.”

He may be a globetrotting actor, but Tasmania can definitely claim Patrick Brammall as one of their own.

Featuring some iconic sites around the state, including the old Mercury building, Brammall’s episode airs on SBS on May 20.

Originally published as Patrick Brammall discovers his Tasmanian roots on Who Do You Think You Are