pianomusic

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

The song ‘Our Boys at the Front was composed ca 1918 by Queenslander M. Egan Mulry (1863–1934); this was dedicated to Lady Goold-Adams, the wife of Queensland’s governor. Source: www.miegunyah.org/pdf_files/2016%20Significance%20Assessm.

Comedian, writer, songwriter, producer/director, troupe proprietor. Often billed as 'the man in red' during his early career and as 'the man with the silver stick, from 1921, Billy Maloney was a juvenile actor with William Anderson’s Pantomime Company before turning to vaudeville as a comedian in 1913. He appeared frequently on the Tivoli circuit and spent 1920-22 in Brisbane with John N. McCallum's Town Topics (revived by Maloney and Elton Black, 1923-24). He later toured Billy Maloney’s Scandals and was associated with Frank Neil, Joe Lawman, George Wallace, and Graham Mitchell among others. Maloney moved to the UK in 1939, appearing on television, producing revues, and later running a theatre in Edinburgh, Scotland. Some of his work: "The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe" Billy Maloney, Fred Whaite (composer), John N. McCallum, Town Topics, 1921 musical theatre pantomime fantasy "Too Thin Chow" Billy Maloney, John N. McCallum, Town Topics, 1921 musical theatre burlesque humor Source: www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A108146

When Billy Maloney appeared at a state banquet for the Prince of Wales in Sydney in 1920 the prince presented him with a silver stick. From then Maloney was billed as "the man with a silver stick". He appeared frequently on the Tivoli Circuit and he was especially popular in the Cremorne Theatre in Brisbane in the early 1920s. In association with Lou Handman, a visiting American composer, he wrote the song "Smithy" in 1928 to celebrate Charles Kingsford Smith's Trans-Pacific flight. Maloney's career waned in the 1930s. He went to the United Kingdom, where he appeared on television in 1939 and toured in variety. Then he made his home in Edinburgh, where he produced small reviews. Source: ozvta.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/maloney-billy-r-notes-1...

Some interesting facts: * Maloney married Claire Lloyd Brady in Brisbane on 10 Dec. 1921 (Everyone's 28 Dec. 1921). * His pantomime The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe (1921) featured a group of children. Their popularity led to the formation of Billy Maloney's Panto Kiddies which appeared as an independent act in Brisbane in 1922 and in early 1923 undertook a tour of regional Queensland. * He appears in George Wallace's film His Royal Highness (1932). * Maloney's career was not without its downsides. In late-1927, for example, he put together a Scandals company in Melbourne to tour "smalls" of regional New South Wales for Otto Hunter. The performers were never paid, and while in Coolamon, Hunter was arrested and convicted of passing bad checks. Maloney's attempt to manage the tour himself ended in disaster in Newcastle. * Surprisingly, Maloney has been relegated to "footnote" status in Australian theatre history despite having carved out a high-profile career as a comedian, songwriter, and producer. * Historians coming to the field of Australian popular theatre from the 1970s onwards were subsequently unaware of his achievements and reputation more than forty years previous Source: ozvta.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/maloney-billy-r-notes-1...