CHAPTER THEATRICAL
AND
KINDRED
XXXV.
ENTERTAINMENTS
(CONTfNUED).
SYNOPSIS:—George Coppin.—His Arrival in Melbourne.—His Early Career.—Fortune and Misfortune.—Mr. and Mrs. Coppin's Debut. — The Melbourne Company. —The Launceston Company. — Coppin "Cock ofthe Walk."—Queen's Theatre Royal. —Coppin as Ship Oiuner.—Coppin's "Last Appearance on any Stage."—Francis Nesbitt.—His Short Career and Death.—Smith's Theatrical Company.—Morton (otherwise Mark Last) King.—Batters on "the BurstyMrs. Coppin's Death in Adelaide. — The First Local Pantomime.—A Masquerade Ball. — The Yellow Fever.—Addenda: Review of George Coppin.—His Partnership with G. V.Brooke.—First Grand Opera Season. — Cremorne GardensWhite Swans and Gold Fish.— Wizards and Bell Ringers. — Coppin and King as Members of Parliament.—Concluding Panegyric.—Miscellaneous: First Concerts in Melbourne. — The Melbourne Harmonic Society. — The Philharmonic Society.—Old Tcnvn Bands.—First Menagerie.—First Circus. — The First Blondin.—First Ventriloquists.—First Mesmerist. GEORGE COPPIN.
5FN June, 1845, an event occurred which was destined to exercise a poyverful influence on the future f'1 of the Victorian stage, for it was no less than the arrival of " T h e Coppins," with a select corps X dramaticpue. They sailed in the " Syvan " schooner, from Launceston, and landed in Melbourne on £sj the 14th June—a day yvhich should be red-lettered in the Dramatic Memorabilia of the colony. And as I have noyv made the acquaintance of Mr. George Coppin, a few lines of digression, devoted to a brief resume of the earlier portion of his remarkable career will not be considered out of place, especially as he is still (1888) amongst us, at anchorage probably for the rest of his days, essentially an old colonist, who has served his adopted country in various capacities, and has ever proved himself a good man, and a leal citizen. The son of a father educated for the medical profession, which he abandoned for the stage, young Coppin yvas born in Sussex (1819), became a violinist at an early age, and as such appeared at intervals yvith his father's company. O n taking an avoyvedfinalstage farewell of the citizens of Melbourne at the Theatre Royal on the 9th December, 1881, Mr. Coppin thus sketched an amusing outline of his appearance as a "twinkle, twinkle, little star " of the dramaticfirmament,and his gradual progress in the profession:—" The first printed record I have of m yfirstappearance in public, is the bill of a concert given at Peterborough under the patronage of Viscount Milton, on the 14th of November, 1826, in which I a m announced amongst the violin players. I yvas then seven years old, and used to be placed upon a table to play the ' Cuckoo Solo ' between the pieces. I remember having coppers and small pieces of silver thrown upon the stage to me, little thinking that I should live to see nuggets of gold yvrapped in bank notes throyvn upon the stage, as I have done at the old Queen's Theatre in this colony, to the Chambers family. I wonder how I should look now in petticoats upon a table playing the 'Cuckoo Solo.' M y next bill is for the benefit of Mrs., Miss, and Master Coppin. I was the Master at the Theatre Royal, Scarborough, on the 9th of October, 1828, under the patronage of Lord and Lady Pollington, in which the comic duet of 'When a Little Farm W e Keep,' is announced by Master and Miss Coppin. At that time I had a regular engagement as ' second fiddle' in the orchestra, and child actor ih the theatre. T h efirstpart I can remember playing yvas a boy in ' The Hunter of the Alps,' yvhen Mr. Charles Kean came down as a star. I had to strut up to him and say, ' Don't be afraid, sir; I yvon't hurt you.' H e patted m e upon the head, gave m e half-a-crown, and said that I should be a great comedian. In m y father's company I used to sweep out the theatre, trim lamps, deliver bills, lead the orchestra, and play small parts, until he gave up management. I then commenced the world upon m y own account, at the age of seventeen, with m y fiddle
