The Goldsbrough Mort pastoral house was founded by Richard Goldsbrough (1821-86), a wool-stapler from Bradford, who arrived in Melbourne in 1847. Starting as a wool-classer and packer, by the 1850s he was the leading Melbourne wool-broker, as well as a hide and skin merchant, and a stock and station agent. Goldsbrough was important in the development of Australian wool-broking and its specially designed wool stores set a pattern. Wool was consigned to London and squatters were financed. Goldsbrough merged with the Australasian Agency and Banking Corporation in 1881 as a way of tapping into British investment funds, amalgamating with Sydney-based Mort & Co. in 1888. The company amalgamated with Elder Smith & Co. in 1963.