musicscores

Fred Whaite - Composer, librettist, music director, musician. The son of Harry Whaite, one of Australia's leading scenic artists during the late 1890s and early twentieth century, Fred Whaite established himself in the Australian variety industry as a music director and composer. He studied piano as a youth under Henri Kowalski and gained his orchestral training with Gustave Slapoffski. Showing an early liking for operatic composition, he was encouraged and assisted by J. C. Williamson's music director Andrew MacCunn and Thomas A. Ricketts. Two of his earliest compositions to be published were 'The Coronation: Grand Galop de Concert' (1907) and 'Golden Wattle Schottische' (ca. 1909). Between 1906 and 1909 Whaite was largely associated with the British Pianoforte Depot in Sydney, being engaged as the society's pianist for its series of regular Apollo recitals. Although much of Whaite's career during the remainder of the 1920s is still to be determined, it is believed that he remained with the Fullers until 1929, at which time he joined the ABC as a music arranger and performer. Between 1930 and 1934, for example, he regularly appeared as a novelty pianist on Sydney stations 2FC and 2BL, with these often being relayed around the country on the ABC network. The 1930s also write and direct the music for a number of radio dramas - notably The Tin Soldier (1931, musical comedy) and Waratah (1931, pantomime) - as well as leading his own radio vaudeville company and orchestra. In addition to this, he collaborated (as composer) on the Clipper and Brown comedy detective radio series with author John 'Jock' Macleod. Fred Whaite remained with the ABC until his retirement in 1962. He died in 1964. Known to have written countless songs throughout his career, at least twenty-five songs are known to have been published, including 'Rose of My Dreams' (1924), 'My Wollondilly Home' (1925, with John Moore), 'Into the Barrel' (1940, which he dedicated to the Red Cross), 'In-doo-roo-pilly' (1940, with Billy Maloney), 'I'm Cutting up the Rainbow' (ca. 1947), and 'The Little Green Wood' (1953, with John Wheeler). Whaite also reportedly wrote two radio plays in collaboration with S. D. Douglas - Kabula Love Song and Moon. Source: www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A112240

Bohemia Theatre and Stadium This opened in March 1923 as a live theatre venue with a performance of ‘Mr. Rawdon Blandford’s ‘Classics of 1923’’. By the end of the decade, the theatre was struggling in the face of the thriving cinema industry, and during the 1930s the lease was held by Greater Brisbane Amusement, whose policy was not to compete with the neighboring Cremorne Theatre. The Bohemia was then predominantly used as a wrestling and boxing venue known as ‘Bohemia Stadium’. The last bouts appear to have taken place there in April 1940. In 1947 it was taken over by the Brisbane City Council and leased out for use as a depot and store before being demolished in 1954 to make way for a car park fronting Stanley and Grey streets. Source: mappingbrisbanehistory.com.au/history-location/bohemia-th...

HAROLD MIDDLETON Associated for many years with W. H. Palings, both in Sydney and Brisbane, Harold Middleton began to establish his reputation as a writer, composer, and accompanist in Brisbane around the early to mid1920s. His pantomime, Hop O' My Thumb was staged by the Famous Diggers in 1924, and he wrote at least one comedy sketch for the troupe during its lengthy Cremorne engagement. Another pantomime, Puss in Boots (1928) was also produced in Brisbane. A number of Middleton's songs were published during the 1920s. Source: ozvta.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/middleton-harold-311...

Shorley, Ezra Thomas 1868-1946 Most widely held works by Ezra Thomas Shorley, First World War lyricist and poet. * Poetic reflections in rhyme and reason 1937 * Australia's emblem of gold, or, Our golden wattle 1919 with Helena Miler * Our Mary Jane from the farm: comic song 1918 with Stan Wood * March on, march on Australians : patriotic song 1917 with Helena Miler and more Source: worldcat.org/identities/viaf-93876567/

Ballarat Orphanage history in brief In 1865, the Ballarat District Orphan Asylum was a non-denominational children’s home for up to 300 children of both sexes aged four to 16 years. In 1909, it became the Ballarat Orphanage. In the late 1920s, a Boys' Hostel and new Toddlers' Block were established. Capacity was never reached. In 1953, there were 198 children, 144 of whom were state wards. In 1998, the organisation became Child and Family Services Ballarat Inc. In 2015, Child & Family Services Ballarat (CAFS) celebrated 150 years of supporting children, young people and families. In 2000, the Heritages Services Program was established to support past residents of the orphanage and children’s homes. Source: www.findingrecords.dhhs.vic.gov.au/collectionresultspage/...

Most widely held works by Ernest H Grenfell Hinkler: one step Ballarat the fair; Back to Inverleigh: re-union song 1930; Slumber-land: a lullaby, published in 1931 La mort, 1931 For God so loved the world: St. John 3 ver. 16-17, 1931 Jes' joggin' along, 1929 Subjects associated with Grenfell's work: Air pilots, Death, Hinkler Bert, Lullabies Queensland Sacred songs. Source: worldcat.org/identities/np-grenfell,%20ernest%20h/

It seems the song has some association with Berth Hinkler a pioneer Australian aviator (dubbed "Australian Lone Eagle"[1]) and inventor. He designed and built early aircraft before being the first person to fly solo from England to Australia, and the first person to fly solo across the Southern Atlantic Ocean. He married in 1932 at the age of 39 and died less than a year later after crashing into the remote countryside near Florence, Italy during a solo flight record attempt. Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bert_Hinkler