Known as Canada Half Tide Dock when opened in 1862, it had two
branch docks to the east which were known as
North and South Carriers' Docks.
Timber was initially the principal cargo, with fire a consequent safety concern. The original river entrance presented navigational difficulties, with the area affected by
silting. The dock was renamed in 1879 in honour of Ralph Brocklebank, Chairman of the
Mersey Docks and Harbour Board between 1863 and 1869. By the 1920s, the dock was home to the
Houlder Brothers shipping company which operated to South America, and to the
Commonwealth Line which operated to Australia. Subsequent modifications were made to Brocklebank Dock and the surrounding basins during the twentieth century, including the new Langton
River Entrance in 1958. Brocklebank Dock provided facilities for transporting passengers and freight between Liverpool and
Belfast, in
Northern Ireland, until it was superseded by the
Twelve Quays ferry terminal at
Birkenhead. ==References==