The Chronicles of Early Melbourne/Volume 1/Chapter 35
CHAPTER XXXV.
THEATRICAL AND KINDRED ENTERTAINMENTS (CONTINUED).
SYNOPSIS:— George Coppin. —His Arrival in Melbourne. —His Early Career. —Fortune and Misfortune. —Mr. and Mrs. Coppin's Début. —The Melbourne Company. —The Launceston Company. —Coppin "Cock of the Walk." —Queen's Theatre Royal. —Coppin as Ship Owner. —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 Burst." —Mrs. 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 Gardens. —White 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 Town Bands. —First Menagerie. —First Circus. —The First Blondin. —First Ventriloquists. —First Mesmerist.
George Coppin.
IN June, 1845, an event occurred which was destined to exercise a powerful influence on the future of the Victorian stage, for it was no less than the arrival of "The Coppins," with a select corps dramatique. They sailed in the "Swan" schooner, from Launceston, and landed in Melbourne on the 14th June-a day which should be red-lettered in the Dramatic Memorabilia of the colony. And as I have now made the acquaintance of Mr. George Coppin, a few lines of digression, devoted to a brief résumé 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 was born in Sussex (1819), became a violinist at an early age, and as such appeared at intervals with his father's company. On taking an avowed final stage 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 dramatic firmament, and his gradual progress in the profession:— "The first printed record I have of my first appearance 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 am announced amongst the violin players. I was 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 wrapped in bank notes thrown 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.' My 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 We 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 in the theatre. The first part I can remember playing was a boy in 'The Hunter of the Alps,' when Mr. Charles Kean came down as a star. I had to strut up to him and say, 'Don't be afraid, sir; I won't hurt you.' He patted me upon the head, gave me half-a-crown, and said that I should be a great comedian. In my 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 my own account, at the age of seventeen, with my fiddle 
description. At nineteen I yvas engaged as ' second fiddle ' in the orchestra, and second low comedian at the Woolwich Theatre by M r . Faucett, and before the season terminated I became his stage manager, and first foyv comedian at a salary of 2rs. per yveek. M y next engagement yvas with M r . Davenport (the model of Charles Dickens's Vincent Crummies), at Richmond; salary, 25s. a yveek, upon condition that in addition to m y playing in the orchestra, second low c o m e d y upon the stage, dancing and singing between the pieces—I should also teach the infant phenomenon to sing and dance, yvhich I did. I yvas then engaged for London. Subsequently took Mr. Compton's situation in the York Circuit, at a salary of 30s. a yveek, when that celebrated comedian yvent to London. I aftenvards visited Belfast, Glasgoyv, and Dublin. Starred it through Ireland and a portion of England, sailed from Liverpool in the 'Templar' on the 17th November, 1842, and arrived in Sydney on the ioth March, 1843, only 113 days on the voyage, yvhich yvas considered not so bad at that time. M yfirstsensation in Melbourne yvas m y arrival with a complete company and band, yvithout having m a d e any arrangement for their appearance at the only theatre. I had to rent the large hall at the Royal Hotel, and threaten a strong opposition to force the manager of the Queen's Theatre into terms. M y next sensation yvas covering the stage with a piece of drugget for the production of ' T h e School for Scandal.' It was considered a lavish expenditure, although it did not cost as m a n y shillings as I have since paid pounds for the Theatre Royal carpet. Since that time m y motto has been ' Progress.' Having read in some print that Coppin had sung one song 250 times in succession in Dublin, I wrote to him for its name, and was courteously favoured yvith this reply : — " Y o u sang ' Billy Barloyv ' 250 times at the Abbey Street Theatre, Dublin, in 1842, local verses, three and four times a night.' Poor Lysteryvas very fond of relating a singular circumstance. H e was a middy on board a sailing ship. T h e night before leaving Dublin he visited the Abbey Street Theatre, and heard m e sing ' Billy Barloyv.' T h e ship put into two or three ports on her yvay to Sydney. T h e day after arrival, young Lyster went to the Victoria Theatre, and to his great astonishment heard m e singing ' Billy Barlow '—the same dress, &c. H e described the feeling as most bewildering, and the impression m a d e on him was so strong that he remembered the local verses, and frequently used to sing them, to the great delight of friends w h o were favoured yvith his interesting anecdote." T h e "poor Lyster " referred to here is the " M r . W . S." of that ilk, so well known in connection with the operatic history of Victoria, and whose death in 1881 was universally regretted. Mr. Coppin shortly after his arrival in Sydney arranged to appear at the Victoria Theatre there upon a share of the profits, and frequently received upwards of .£50 a night as his proportion of the takings. H e m a d e a little fortune by acting—lost it in publichouse business through inexperience, left Sydney in debt, and m a d e hisfirstappearance in Hobart T o w n on the 5th of January, 1845. After playing a very successful " star" engagement there, he commenced management in Launceston on the 3rd March, 1845, and encouraged by a prosperous season, engaged (paying all expenses) his company to visit Port Phillip and try his fortune there. Mr. Coppin remained in Melbourne until August, 1846, when his next m o v e was to South Australia, where he built a theatre infiveyveeks, and commenced management in Adelaide on the 2nd of November. H e also built a theatre at Port Adelaide; m a d e a large fortune—lost it in copper mining by the discovery of gold in Victoria ; went through the Insolvent Court; returned to Melbourne : yvalked to the diggings yvithout sixpence in his pocket; walked back again within a fortnight with blistered hands, a backache, and no gold; played a short "star" engagement, and commenced management in Geelong in 1852, and m a d e another' fortune, M o n d a y nights' receipts frequently paying the weekly expenses. Retiring from the management, he revisited his old friends, the Adelaide creditors, who, believing in the man, had, in the midst of'his embarrassments, given him free leave and license to leave their colony. H e invited them to dinner and by way of dessert handed to each a cheque for 20s. in the £ a condiment not often found amongst debtors. Returning to Melbourne he was able in January, 1854, to withdraw from business with a handsome competence, and he proceeded to England, after which he returned to Victoria, and carved out for himself a future prolific of many and important results, to some of which special reference will be m a d e before this chapter closes. THE
LAUNCESTON COMPANY,
As it was styled, yvas the first complete corps of the kind in-the colon)', and as a curious theatrical relic, I subjoin a document in reference to it, as supplied to m e by Mr. Coppin :— " C o p y of Agreement, Theatre, Launceston, V.D.L. March 30th, 1845. " W e , the undersigned, hereby agree to proceed to Melbourne per ship 'Swan' under the management of Mr. Coppin, to perform at the theatre for a season, and to return to Launceston if required, and bind ourselves under a penalty of £25 to be paid to the said George Coppin, that we will not perform at the theatre or any other place of amusement, unless it is under the management of Mr. Coppin, by his free will and consent. (Signed) M . H . R O G E R S and yvife, C H A R L E S Y O U N G and wife, M R S . T H O M P S O N , J. E. M E G S O N , * E. A. O P I E , J. H A M B L E T O N and wife, F. B. W A T S O N , W I L L I A M HoyvsoN,* A L F R E D H O W S O N , * J O H N W I L K S , B E N R A E . Witness : W I L L I A M B E L L , Captain of'Swan.'" Including Mr. and Mrs. Coppin, this little band of dramatists numbered amongst its members some yvho in after years took a high position in the profession. A s for Mr. Coppin himself, it is needless to write anything about him in Melbourne, yvhere he has shone so long and so brilliantly as afixed"star," and I will only add that he is the last of the old school of actors left in the colonies. His style is Listonian, and yvhen he appeared at the Haymarket Theatre, in London, he yvas compared to M u n d e n . Mrs. Coppin yvas the best leading actress, either in tragedy or comedy, that ever visited the Australian colonies. As Mrs. Watkins Burroughs she held a very high position as a " star" actress in London, Dublin, Cork, and Belfast yvhere herfirsthusband yvas manager for many years. In reference to some of the others, Mr. Coppin has favoured m e yvith the folloyving interesting m e m o . :— " Mr. Rogers arrived in V a n Diemen's Land as a c o m m o n soldier. At garrison entertainments he displayed so m u c h dramatic talent that a subscription yvas m a d e to purchase his discharge. H e then engaged yvith Mrs. Clark, manageress of the Hobart Toyvn Theatre, yvith yvhom he remained until I made up m y company for Launceston. After m y season there, I brought him over to Melbourne. His parents yvere so strictly religious that he yvas never inside a theatre until he arrived in the colonies, and therefore had not the advantages of Mr. Lambert, who studied his profession in the very best English school of acting. H e yvas an undoubted genius. His line of business yvas old men. Mr. Charles Young yvas a very versatile actor, and in his early days yvas equally good in tragedy, comedy, burlesque, and could sing and dance yvell. H e opened yvith m e in Melbourne as Claude Melnolte in the " Lady of Lyons." His line of business after leaving the colonies yvas loyv comedy and burlesque, etc.—a great favourite in London. Mrs. Charles Young, married in m y company, yvas a Miss Jones, and used to play small parts and dance between the pieces. B y study she became a leading actress. U p o n one of m y visits to England I was present at herfirstappearance in London at Sadlers' Wells Theatre yvith Mrs. Phelps in the character of Julia in the " Hunchback." She yvas a success, and afterwards became a very great favourite. She obtained a divorce from Mr. Young, and married Mr. H e r m a n Vezin. She is still playing in London so is her husband—as one of the very feyv leading tragedians of the present day. Strange to say, they never play together at the same theatre. Charles Young ended his days some years ago in the Sydney Lunatic Asylum, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers died in Melbourne, and Mrs. Watson, Mrs. Hambleton, and Mrs. Thompson have also passed away." There were now two dramatic corps in Melbourne—viz., the local and the Launceston, and it yvas soon publicly intimated that arrangements had been m a d e for the Launceston or Coppin Company to perform on two nights a week for a month; the other to play on alternate evenings, so that an agreeable variety was offered by what might be almost termed the rival companies. A s far as the teachings of theatres go, these two companies undoubtedly rendered good service (though possibly less to their constitutents than to themselves), until the changed and improved condition of Melbourne society created a further demand, and consequently increased competition.
• T h e names asterisked constituted the orchestra, M R . A N D M R S . COPPIN'S D E B U T
Was indicated to the Melbournians by the following announcement :— QUEEN'S THEATRE ROYAL, QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE. The Proprietor is happy to announce to his friends and the public generally, that he has entered into an arrangement with Mr. Coppin and the entire of his Corps Dramatique to Perform alternate nights yvith the present Company, for one month only, trusting the greatest combination of talent ever witnessed in any of the colonies will receive the patronage and support it will ever be his study to deserve. O N S A T U R D A Y E V E N I N G , 2IST J U N E , 1845. The Entertainments will commence with Sir E. Lytton Bulwer's celebrated play infiveacts, entitled the
L A D Y OF L Y O N S ! Claude Melnotte - Mr. Charles Young. Colonel D u m a s - M r Rogers. Beauseant - M r Thompson. Glavis - Mr. Coppin. Mons. Deschappelles - Mr. Watson. Pauline - Mrs. Coppin. M a d a m e Deschappelles - Mrs. Watson. Previous to the Tlay and during the evening, the Band will play— Overture—" Italian in Algero"—Rossini.—Overture—" Fra Diavolo "—Auber.—Quadrille—" Royal Irish "—Julien. Wreath Dance, by Mrs. Y o u n g . — S o n g — " Should H e Upbraid " — M r s . Rogers.—Comic Song by Mr. Hambleton. Mr. and Mrs. C. Young will then dance the "Tarantella" in the costume ofthe country. T o be followed by an entirely new interlude, never acted here, called
TIIE F O U R SISTERS. A n entirely new Comic Double Irish Jig, by M r . and Mrs. Charles Young. T h e whole to conclude yvith the very laughable Farce of the
T U R N P I K E GATE. Crack, the Cobbler
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Mr. Coppin.
Joe Standfast
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Mr. Rogers.
Nights of performance during the present month :—Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Prices for the season as follow :-The Dress Circle, 5s ; half-price, 2s. 6d. Upper Circle 3s.; half-price, is. 6d. Pit, 2S.; half-price, is. Gallery, is. ; no half-price. Doors to open at half-past Six. Performance to commence at Seven o'clock precisely. Proprietor, Mr. Smith ; Stage Manager, Mr. Nesbitt ; Mechanist, Mr. Capper.
The acting of the Coppins, the Youngs, and Rogers, was quite a treat to the community, where hitherto anything approaching dramatic efficiency was the exception, whilst Coppin in his Crack impersonation m a d e a hit such as yvas never before known in the Province. T h e newspapers of the period were neither profuse nor particular in their critical notices, and I find in one of them this business-like semi-apologetic paragraph referring to the event :-" W e intended to-day writing a full critique upon the performances by Mr. Coppin's company on Saturday evening: but the important wool sales and other more "staple" articles compel us to be very brief in our remarks W e have only room to say that Mrs. Coppin is decidedly the best actress by many degrees that ever trod the Australian stage • that her husband in low comedy-his forte, was irresistible, and that his company altogether is very'respectable, and worthy of the patronage which, w e feel assured, the Melbourne public are ready to award to dramatic merit." Coppin's first appearance obtained the substantial compliment of a bumper attendance and the reception accorded the newcomers was all that could be desired. Their second appearance was on the 24th in the comedy of " T h e Soldiers Daughter" ; but Coppin, according to the scribes, "did not show at his best" yvhile Mrs. Coppin yvas a "tremendous success" as the Widow Cheerly. Rogers absolutely stormed'the place by his spirited delineation of Governor Heartall, and Mr. Young's "acting was far from being as good as his dancing." A s for Megson, he had "become musically acquainted with the people, and his violin solo was m u c h admired."
Was now strengthened by a neyv acquisition, thus flatteringly yvritten of:—"Mr. Falchon, the well-established favourite of both the Sydney and Yan Diemen's Land theatres, and yvhose representations of Irish characters are (take our yvord for it) rich in the extreme, has arrived from Launceston and been added to the Melbourne Company. There is one song in particular, yvhich w e have heard him sing at leastfiftytimes, with bursting sides; yve mean, 'Paddy's Wedding;' this song has hitherto been awfully butchered by Burgin. Let those yvho delight in a genuine Irish song, sung in true character, look out for this treat." The "butcher" Burgin yvas first a confectioner, and next a billiard player, who occasionally eked out a feyv shillings a yveek at the Pavilion. On the 26th June the Melbourne Company played to a paying house. This was the first appearance of Falchon, from the Theatre Royal, Sydney, and Hobart Town, the bill opening with "The Mutiny at the Nore." Falchon, as Jack Adams, was great; but Nesbitt as Richard Parker, was greater; and Falchon's "Paddy's Wedding" was unsurpassable. Then followed "The Secret," and "The Happy Man," wherein Falchon's " Paddy Murphy " sent the audience away in the best possible good humour.
THE LAUNCESTON COMPANY.
Competition is the life of trade, and such was quickly exemplified so far as related to theatrical wares. The Coppin steam was now in full puff, and the following attractive bill (for the first time in Port Phillip) yvas put forth for the 3rd July:— THE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL. Charles Surface Mr. Young. Joseph Surface Mr Thompson. Sir Oliver Surface Mr. Rogers. Moses Mr. Opie. Crabtree Mr. Hambleton. Sir Benjamin Backbite Mr. Ray. Sir Peter Teazle Mr. Coppin. Trip Mr. Wilks. Rowley Mr. Watson. Snake - Mr. Turner. - Mrs. Candour - Mrs. Rogers. Lady Sneerwell - Mrs. Hambleton Maria Mrs. Young. Lady Teazle Mrs. Coppin.
In the course of the evening the band will play—
Overture—Cenerentola -Rossini. Overture—Semiramide—Rossini. Quadrille—Prince of Wales—Julien. Quadrille—Norma—Weippert. Waltz—Les Roses—Strauss. After which — " Pas Seul " — Mrs. Young.
To be followed by the admired Vaudeville of
WHY DON'T SHE MARRY.
Sergeant Max - Mr. Young. Natz Teik (a young farmer) - Mr. Coppin. Lisette (Sister to Max) - Mrs. Rogers.
French Soldiers, Male and Female Villagers, etc., etc., etc.
Airs incidental to the piece :—
Song— "My Beautiful Rhine "—Lisette. Song — "Liberty for Me "—Lisette. Song and
Chorus " Oh, Vive L'Amour " — Max and Soldiers.
Finale,
By the whole of the Characters.
Comic Song - Mr. Hambleton. Pas de Deux - Mr. and Mrs. Young. The whole to conclude with the laughable farce of
WINNING A HUSBAND.
(In which Mrs. Coppin will sustain eight different characters ! ! !)
Sir Robert Strangeways, (in love with everything except Miss Jenny Transit) Mr Rogers
Davy (his man) no philosopher, and yet no fool Mr. Coppin
Lucinda (sister to Sir Roderick, and not quite so fond of romance) Mrs Hambleton.
Miss Jenny Transit (in love with no one but Sir Roderick) . Mrs Coppin!
Margaret Macmucklecanny (a learned lassie from the Highlands) Mrs Coppin! Mrs Coppin!!
Clementina Clappergo (a voluminous and voluble literary spinster) Mrs Coppin!!!
Lady Dorothy Dashly (desirous of the marriage state and a fortune)
Mrs Coppin!!!!
Mrs. Deborah Griskin (a pork butcher's widow with more airs than graces) Mrs Coppin!!!!!
Mademoiselle Antoinette Marosquieu (a French Fieuarante)
Mrs Coppin!!!!!
Bridget Blackthorn (a rustic beauty)
Mrs Coppin!!!!!!
Ensign Thaddeus O'Transit (of the Kilkenny Flamers) Mrs Coppin!!!!!!!!
Leader of the Orchestra - Mr. Megson. Scene Painter - Mr. Opie. Prompter - Mr. Watson. T h e theatre was crowded and money refused at the doors. Mrs. Coppin, Rogers, and Coppin,
unmistakably foreshadowed the reputation they would win, and the many laurels they would gather in after
years on the Melbourne stage in connection with the same comedy. T h e performance yvas thus noticed
in a neyvspaper of the time :—
" O n Thursday evening Mr. Coppin's corps dramatiqne performed to a crowded and highly respectable
house; the piece selected for the occasion being Sheridan's comedy, the 'School for Scandal.' T h e
principal characters in this were Sir Peter and Lady Teazle by Mr. and Mrs. Coppin, both of which were
well sustained ; indeed, Coppin's personation of a fidgetty, doating old husband, and Mrs. Coppin's
coquettish levity, kept the house in an uninterruptedfitof merriment. T h e characters of the brothers
Charles and Joseph Surface, by Messrs Y o u n g and Thompson, were creditably supported; but there is one
defect in the Launceston Company, namely, that, with the exception of Mesdames Coppin and Rogers, it
is rather inefficient in actresses. In the laughable little piece of ' W h y Don't She Marry,' Coppin's mimic
powers yvere agreeably brought into play, and the song, ' M y Beautiful Rhine' was sung with great eclat by
Mrs. Rogers as Lisette; but it yvould appear that all the mirthful faculties of the audience yvere to be
reserved for the concluding farce of 'Winning a Husband,' in yvhich Mrs Coppin's dramatic talent eminently
told that it possessed no little powers of versatility—as she sustained eight different characters to
admiration, metamorphosing herself from a pork butcher's widow to a ' Highland lassie,' and as quickly
taking herself from the Land o' Cakes to the Kilkenny Flamers; and then from a boy of Kilkenny, a dark
roving blade, to the impersonation of a Parisian paramour. All these characters she did in a very superior
style, and received the enthusiastic greeting of the assemblage. Mr. Rogers as Sir Robert Strangeways yvas
very good, as also Coppin himself as the m a n Davy. It gave us pleasure to see that upon this occasion the
dress circle plainly showed that a taste for theatricals yvas not on the decline. In fact it was one ofthe best
attended houses "yve have yet seen, and the most general satisfaction was rendered."
T h e Melbourne C o m p a n y n o w mustered sufficient courage to procure a Shakespearian tragedy on
the ioth July, and as this was the first representation of the piece on Melbourne boards, the cast will be
conned over with a curious interest by the theatrical devotees of to-day.
MACBETH.
Duncan (King of Scotland) - Mr. Capper.
Malcolm - Mrs. Mereton.
Macbeth - Mr. Nesbitt.
Banquo - Mr. Alexander.
Macduff - Mr. Cameron.
Lennox - Mr. Davies.
Rosse - Mr. Jacobs.
Fleance - Master Capper.
Seyton - Mr. C. Boyd.
Officer - Mr. Edwards.
Physician - Mr. Andrews.
First Witch - Mr. Lee.
Second Witch - Mr. Mereton.
Third Witch - Mr. Falchon.
Lady Macbeth - Mrs. Cameron.
Gentlewoman - Mrs. Avins.
The attendance yvas large, and the yvork yvas on the whole moderately yvell got through, Nesbitt and Falchon being exceptionally good. O n the 26th July Capper took a benefit, at yvhich the Launceston C o m p a n y appeared. It commenced with the comedy of " T h e Youthful Queen," yvith Mrs. Coppin as Christine, and yvas succeeded by a variety of overtures and entertainments, concluding yvith "The Spectre of the Nile," Coppin representing Pagnag, and his wife Orynthe. T h e last scene—the Earthquake, and Grand Fall of the Great Aqueduct at M e m p h i s — w a s something out of the c o m m o n . Mr. Richard Capper, though yvhat is techinally k n o w n in theatrical "biz." as a mechanist, yvas a reliable ally in small parts; and having shared in the fallen fortunes of the Pavilion yvas looked upon as a sort of veteran, so the people came to like him, and his " benefit " was a reality. Davies, an " artful dodger " in working out benefits for himself, a couple of weeks after induced Smith to let him have another turn, when, yvith his usual luck, he secured a capital house, chiefly through the instrumentality of the St. Patrick's Society, whose patronage he obtained. T h e members marched in procession to the theatre with insignia, band and banners, and the Irish music, and the unfurled Irish green drew along with them a crowd yvhich contributed materially to render the occasion a pecuniary success. Coppin by this time had " taken the measure " of the Melbourne community, and entered into an arrangement yvith Smith, thus adding to his o w n the cream of the Melbourne Company, viz.—Nesbitt, and M r . and Mrs. Cameron. Falchon and he, it was said, could not c o m e to terms. Davies did not at all relish this " turn of the tide," fancying, probably, that Coppin would prove a tougher customer than Smith in the " benefit" game, so he immediately not only threatened to start an opposition shop, but actually meditated the revival of the Pavilion. . H e m a d e a special application for a license to the Magistrates undertaking to put the old shed into a thorough state of repair, and to conduct it creditably. T h e application yvas opposed by Smith, yvho declared he had expended ,£5000 on the Queen Street premises (theatre and hotel) in the belief that if he established a respectable theatre he should be protected from competition, at least until he could be reimbursed some of the outlay ; it yvas also contended that one theatre yvas enough for Melbourne, and if a second yvas then allowed, the inevitable result yvould be the ruin of both. T h e Magistrates unhesitatingly refused the application. THE COPPIN MANAGEMENT.
And now Coppin was "Cock of the Walk"—the lessee of the new theatre, with the reins solely in his hands. It was no sinecure he had assumed, and he tackled to his yvork yvith skill and energy. H e endeavoured to place entertainments before the public suited to its taste, and one of hisfirstnovelties was a Mr. Hoyvson, " a neyvly-arrived performer on the violincello," and m e m b e r of a musical family yvhich came over with Coppin in the " Swan " from Launceston, and some of them (ladies) in subsequent years attained a European celebrity. But it yvas not always smooth water or favouring gales for the Queen's Theatre. T h e attendances were variable ; sometimes an overffoyving house, and the next night doyvn nearly to low water n m k . O n the ist September, though the " R e n t D a y " was very yvell performed, there yvas only one solitary paying individual in the boxes. Toyvards the middle of the same month Melbourne was astounded one morning by the terrible intelligence that the "Cataraqui" emigrant ship, from Liverpool to Port Phillip, was totally wrecked on a reef at King's Island, when there was a frightful destruction of h u m a n life, the only survivors being the chief mate, one immigrant, and seven seamen. These arrived by a schooner in the Bay, and their heartrending narrative produced the most intense consternation. Immediate steps were taken to raise funds for their assistance, as well as to reward a sealing party stationed at the time on the island, by which the unfortunates yvere saved from death by starvation. Coppin, though in a certain sense commencing the world, unsolicited offered a theatrical performance in aid of the Relief Fund. This yvas thefirstoccasion of the proprietor or lessee of a theatre giving a benefit for a charitable purpose in the colony, and it will be interesting after such a lapse of time to read the manifesto by yvhich Mr. Coppin m a d e the announcement:— QUEEN'S T H E A T R E ROYAL, Q U E E N STREET, Under the immediate Patronage of His Honor the Resident Judge and His Worship the Mayor. U p o n which occasion the proceeds ofthe evening's entertainment will be given in aid of the survivors from the late melancholy
SHIPWRECK OF THE EMIGRANT SHIP "CATARAQUI," A n d to reward M r . Howie's party for their meritorious assistance. N . B . - T h e manager does not think it necessary to solicit the support of the public for this evening, feeling assured (from the well-known liberality of the Melbourne inhabitants) the above announcement will in itself-without taking into consideration the attractive entertainment—fill the theatre for the relief of the unfortunate. On T H U R S D A Y EVENING, I8TH SEPT., 1845,
The entertainment will commence with Sheridan Knowles' celebrated play, entitled, THE HUNCHBACK; OR, N O MAN'S LOVE. T o conclude with the Nautical D r a m a of THE SEA ; OR, T H E OCEAN CHILD.
The public cheerfully responded to the call, and the house (of course much more restricted in dimensions than our present places of entertainment) was crammed. There were 177 persons in the boxes, 453 in the pit, and 313 in the gallery. T h e gross proceeds amounted to £9r us., which (less ^ 2 5 n s ! expenses) brought £6(> to the charity—a considerable help as things went then. This timely act of benevolence was m u c h appreciated, and at a subsequent meeting of the general subscribers to the Shipwreck Fund it yvas decided that a special letter of thanks should be transmitted to Mr. Coppin. T h e theatre now began tofixitself in public estimation, and though Coppin's patience was severely taxed at times, m u c h care and cleverness yvere bestoyved upon the performances, and a reasonably uniform degree of success folloyved. O n the 2nd October, that ayvkward encumbrance (a mother-in-law) caused the secession of the Youngs from the' company, because Mr. Coppin would not pay Mrs. T h o m p s o n (Mrs. Young's mother) as highly as her abilities yvere assessed by her relatives. F r o m a newspaper of the 18th October I take this notice of the theatrical doings of the period :—
QUEEN'S THEATRE.
" This emporium of public amusement opened on Saturday evening yvith the drama of ' Robert Macaire; or T h e Tyvo Murderers of Prance,' in yvhich Coppin as Jaques Strop afforded considerable merriment. Thompson, as Macaire, acquitted himself yvith great credit. Mesdames Coppin and Mereton yvere not in the back ground, and the latter, in disclaiming the foul imputation of a murderess, and watching the departing spirit of her homicidal husband, was very touching. Black Harry's hornpipe yvas yvell received, but the interlude 'The Review,' yvas the attraction of the night. This yvas Nesbitt's first appearance in Irish comedy, and he ' came out' in a very creditable way. In adapting himself, however, to the dialect of Mr. Looney Macwalter, the real accent yvould at times break through the one of fiction—not a very extraordinary circumstance, yvhen it is considered that Mr. Nesbitt's forte is tragedy. A s it yvas, hoyvever, he kept the audience in a roar of laughter; his personification of an insolent Irish servant forming a very agreeable contrast to the pliancy of Opie in Johnny Lump. Rogers, as Mr. Deputy Bull, gave a good specimen of a doating old fool, while Coppin, as Caleb Quotem, showed himself to be a regular business man. His song yvasfirst-rate.T h e evening's entertainment concluded yvith ' R e d Eric ; or T h e Banner of Blood,' in yvhich Mrs. Coppin as the Witch Glorma, and Nesbitt as the Sea King, yvere the principal characters. T h e theatre opened last evening yvith the ' Rent Day,' under the patronage of the Licensed Victuallers of Melbourne, and the house was well attended. O n Thursday his Worship the Mayor will patronise the performance for the last time prior to his vacating the Mayoralty." O n the 24th November Coppin had a slashing benefit, which must have delighted him much, for the house yvas crammed. T h e " School for Scandal " yvas played, Mr. and Mrs. Coppin sustaining the parts of Sir Peter and Lady Teazle with marked ability. Coppin gave an original version of " Billy Barlow ;" bis hits about the Mayor and his salary, the Corporation, and other local topics brought forth thunders of applause. H e netted ,£80, and this put him in such high good humour that he lost no time in entering into a fresh agreement yvith Smith, and declared he should stick to the concern for another season. Nesbitt noyv struck for higher yvages, and as Coppin yvould not accede to his demand, he cut the connection and left for Sydney. In December 1845 Coppin began to think that the speculation yvas not, after all, making him as rich as he anticipated, so he took a notion of going to India, and purchased a schooner called the " Apollo," and until he should be quite ready to set sail, placed her in the coasting trade between Melbourne and Portland. She yvas c o m m a n d e d by a Captain Loutit, w h o had occasion to run her at times into some of the small bays for shelter, and from this cause Coppin called one of them Loutit Bay in compliment to his skipper, and a second Apollo Bay, after the schooner. Changing his mind afterwards as to the Indian trip, he sold the craft to the Governmentfora buoy boat. POPPING AT COPPIN.
There yvere elements of fun in the old theatrical times in Melbourne, to enliven the occasionally dull performances, yvhich are altogether absent from the dramatic entertainments of modern days. Smoking then, though nominally prohibited, occasionally caused m u c h trouble and annoyance. Shying coppers was a pleasant variation, and sometimes profitable to the under (and often not) paid actors, who generally had the presence of mind to pick up the shot bullets. It was the lot of George Coppin to be sometimes placed on a pedestal of Hero-yvorship—transformed into a sort of William Tell—with this difference, that, instead of syveeping an apple off a felloyv's head, Coppin used to be popped at yvith the apple. A n d he, to do him justice, never took kindly to this species of by-play. H e used to resist it manfully, beard the sharpshooters, yvhether in pit or gallery, and threaten them yvith all sorts of pains and penalties. O n e night some profane urchins, deeming themselves secure in the gallery, imagined Coppin a sort of Aunt Sally, and began to playpitch and toss at his nob. A night or two after they set to "appleing" him, yvhen one of them was caught flagrante delicto by a policeman, collared, and dragged off to the watch-house. George appeared to prosecute, and the folloyving report of the case is transcribed from an old neyvspaper:—"AN A P P L E O F D I S C O R D . — A s Coppin yvas electrifying the audience of the Queen's Theatre on the evening of the 26th March, 1846, and all his dramatic powers yvere being brought into play, one of the gods hurled a thunderbolt from Olympus, in the shape of an apple, yvhich grazed Coppin's left eye. H e (the god) yvas accordingly given into custody. T h e prisoner yvas brought up before the magistrates next morning and admitted the impeachment, but justified his conduct by stating it to be all a lark, especially as on the previous evening a practice prevailed of playing pitch and toss with pence and half-pence at Coppin's head ; and if it yvas legal to fling coppers at a man's head, it could not be m u c h harm to indulge the innocent amusement of apple throyving. In consequence of the complainant not wishing to press the charge, the Bench let off the offender on payment of a fine offiveshillings." A s a rule, the Queen's yvas a paradise of propriety compared with the Pavilion ; but on the evening ofthe 18th May, 1846, hoyvever, there was a regular rumpus through the misconduct of
A POLICE PEACE-BREAKER.
Mr. William Dana, brother of the Commandant of Native Police, of yvhich force he yvas second officer, was, with a boon companion, named Croker, comfortably enjoying a cigar in one of the boxes or dress circle. T h e "blowing of the cloud" soon attracted the olfactory attention of the proprietor (Mr. Smith), w h o rushed to the footlights, declared smoking to be prohibited, and requested the offending party to desist. D a n a coolly replied, " H e would see him hangedfirst,"whereupon Smith invoked the assistance of Sugden, the Chief-Constable, yvho happened to be in the house, but he declined to interfere until there was a breach of the peace, yvith which he was soon gratified. Smith, summoning some of the employes to his assistance, proceeded to eject Dana, w h o showed fight, and cuffed and kicked all round, Croker remaining a passive, amused spectator. Smith was very partial to the display of large white shirt fronts, and in the fray one of thesefinerieswas irretrievably demolished. D a n a was at length overpoyvered and cast forth, yvhen he fell into the clutches of another batch of Philistines—the Chief-Constable and some of the police—by w h o m he was unceremoniously hauled off to the lock-up, but yvas bailed out during the night. T h e next morning the case turned up before the Police Court, yvhen Smith appeared to prosecute, and M r . Stephen (Barrister) yvas defendant's Counsel. T h e presiding Magistrates yvere the Mayor (Dr. Palmer) and Mr. James Smith ; and on defendant being ordered to stand fonvard in the prisoner's dock, he refused point blank to do so. T h e Justices declared that they could not recognize any distinction of persons charged before them; but, as doubts were entertained as to their power to compel a person accused of making a disturbance to appear in the felons' dock, they remanded the hearing for a few days, and reneyved the defendant's bail. T h e case was resumed on the 25th May, before tyvo other Magistrates (Messrs. Henry M o o r and M'Lachlan), yvhen it yvas proved that, in addition to other improprieties on the evening of the fracas, D a n a had given a general challenge to the dress circle tofightsingle-handed all its occupants (ladies and gentlemen) in rotation, and that one m a n had not only accepted the challenge, but had throyvn off his coat preparatory to engaging in hostilities, which the subsequent events prevented. A copy of a printed circular yvas put in to the effect that no smoking yvould under any circumstances be permitted during theatrical performances. T h e defence set up was that D a n a yvas only smoking in the theatre, for doing which he had been roughly treated, that smoking in a theatre yvas not per sc illegal, and> ergo, the original removal and arrest were illegal. In their decision the Magistrates adroitly evaded an opinion on the point of law propounded, and simply fined the defendant 40s. and costs for resisting the constables in the execution of their duty. COPPIN'S LAST APPEARANCE ON THE STAGE.
The Coppins took as large a benefit as the house could possibly hold on the 18th June, 1846 (Waterloo Day), and announcements were m a d e that it yvas to be " most positively the last appearance of Mr. Coppin and his wife on any stage." T h e pieces produced yvere " Captain Charlotte," a new production by E. Sterling, and the " School for Scandal." M a d a m e Veilburn and a Master Chambers (new attaches) figured fantastically in a neyv-fashioned polka ; and another new version of Coppin's " Billy Barlow " yvas served out in such a racy manner as more than satisfied everyone. During the month of August the Coppins left for Adelaide, after making a favourable impression, yvhich the sponge of time has never thoroughly erased from that day to this; and Smith again assumed the joint position of proprietor and manager. W h a t a singular contrast is presented by a comparison of the cost of working a Melbourne theatre in 1S45 a n d forty years after. In 1845 the Queen's Theatre was opened only three nights in the yveek, and the entire expenses, taking an average of twenty weeks, were ^ 4 7 per week, the salaries varying from 15s. to 40s. per week. In 1877 the weekly expenses of the Theatre Royal averaged ,£420 per week, the salaries being proportionately high. O n this subject I quote from a recent communication from Mr. Coppin:—"I cannot give you a better illustration of the progress of the drama than the fact that during m y management of the Queen's Theatre m y weekly expenses, including rent and a salary for myself, were ^ 4 5 a week. Ever since the erection of this (the Royal) theatre the weekly expenses have been close upon ^ 4 0 0 a yveek, and I do not hesitate to say that I had leading talent in m y company at ^ 4 5 a yveek that cannot be equalled at the present time in Australia." FRANCIS NESBITT
Was an actor of considerable merit, yvho never settled doyvn steadily for any time in one place. A theatrical meteor, shooting about between the colonies, of no steadfastness of purpose, bothering himself little as to yvhat the morroyv yvould bring forth; a good felloyv and yvell liked, it yvas regrettable that one of his undoubted ability should be so deficient in the brain ballast necessary for a fortunate trip through the world. A n Irishman by birth, he found his way on the stage at an early age, and yvas for years a " stock " actor in the Mother-country, his last " H o m e " engagement being in Glasgow. O n reaching Sydney, being unable to obtain theatrical employment there, he was glad to accept the baton of a policeman. In a short time he intervieyved Mr. Joseph Simmons, stage manager of the Victoria Theatre. Simmons, w h o played everything that was good, asked the applicant yvhat he could do, and the reply yvas "any leading part," but he should like to open as Rolla in the tragedy of " Pizarro." Simmons, someyvhat scoffingly, rejoined that Rolla being one of his oyvn specialities, the Sydney public yvould not recognize anyone else in it. It was decided, hoyvever, that the tragedy should be put up, and Nesbitt to play Pizarro. This impersonation is a very shoyvy one, and, set off with Nesbitt'sfinemanly figure and splendid voice, Simmons, much to his oyvn discomfort, yvas completely cast in the shade. The contrast between the style of the two performers was such as to exclude any professional comparison. In a foyv nights after, the public recognition yvhich Simmons fancied he had exclusively for himself, was so impaired that he yvas not umvilling to change places yvith the neyv-comer. H e remained for some time f.t a very moderate salary, but his Australian yvanderings soon commenced, and he keptflittingfrom place to place until his death. O n applying to Mr. Coppin for information as to Nesbitt's ultimate fate, he favoured m e with the folloyving ray of hallowed light shed over the untombed grave which Brooke found in the Bay of Biscay, yvhen he yvent down with the " London " steamer on his voyage from England to Melbourne in 1866 :—" Nesbitt was of the same school of acting as Brooke, and very like him in voice, manner, and talent. I buried him at m y oyvn expense yvhen I bad the Geelong Theatre, before going to England. U p o n m y return yvith G. V. Brooke, I took him to see Nesbitt's grave, and gave him the history of his countryman. The result yvas that poor Brooke erected a headstone with the following inscription :— " Erected in memory of Francis M'Crone Nesbitt, w h o departed this life 29th March, 1853, aged 42 years, by his felloyv countryman Gustavus V. Brooke, as a last tribute to the genius of a brother tragedian.'" SMITH'S COMPANY
Was not noyv remarkable for efficiency, yet on the yvhole the entertainments possessed a tolerable share of attraction, in yvhich a novelty, knoyvn as the " Veilburn-n/w-Chambers dancing " constituted a main feature, and was m u c h appreciated. There yvas besides an inclement winter, but as spring advanced, the theatrical horizon began to brighten, and toyvards the close of the year there was an evident change for the better in both management and professional material. Christmas-tide brought Mr. and Mrs. Hambleton, from Sydney, but yvith the passing ayvay of the holidays, the aspect of affairs yvas discouraging. O n the n t h February, 1847, the St. Patrick Society returned Smith's good turn by crowding the theatre when "The Layvyer's Clerk" and " Paddy M u r p h y " yvere played, and £65 taken. But a heavy bloyv yvas in waiting for the proprietor, and fate struck it in the early days of April, by inducing M a d a m e Veilburn, the popular danseuse, to caper away from the establishment, and Smith put the police after her yvith a warrant of arrest for a breach of the Masters and Servants Act. In plain language, the " light-legged lady " had struck yvork and bolted, and the police found her stowed ayvay on board " T h e Sisters," bound for Adelaide. She yvas apprehended, and brought up at the Police Office, but the Magistrates held they had no jurisdiction, as a terpsichorean artiste yvas in no sense a servant, within the meaning of the layv. Smith survived the Veilburn defection and plodded away with a degree of quiet perseverance, proving himself the possessor of more stamina than he yvas credited yvith. T h e winter solstice yvas n o w on, and winter in old times meant bad business for evening entertainments. T h e 10th May, yvas a gala occasion at the theatre, by reason of the "benefit " of a Mr. Searle, an actor moderately clever as an utility man, and a great gun yvith the Oddfelloyvs. T h e event yvas under the patronage of the " D u k e of Y o r k " Lodge of the Ancient and Independent Order, yvho m a d e a grand turn out, and the house held £66. T h e brethren mustered in full force, and the interior of the theatre was so " Oddfelloyvishly" done up as to give it a novel appearance. A "chaste and beautiful banner," by Opie, the scene painter, yvas displayed over the stage, and on each side the " Dispensation" and a splendid oil painting of "Justice." T h e P.G.s and N.G.s and other alphabetically distinguished officials of the fraternity, exultant in satin collars and sashes, trimmed yvith gold and silver lace, bloomed forth from the central boxes of the dress circle—the minor officers with " plain silk and velvet sashes " in the adjoining boxes, so many sitting satellites within the orbit of greater luminaries. W h e n the curtain rose, the solitaryfigureof Brother Hambleton appeared in fullfigas an Oddfellow, which "produced a most profound sensation ;" every seat in the house yvasfilled,and m a n y yvere glad to obtain standing room. In an interval, Searle's daughter, a seven-year-old, sang " T h e Syviss Toy Girl" in admirable style. T h e juvenile yvas rewarded yvith a shower of bouquets, transformed during the transit into half-crowns, and the child instead of being scared by the pattering of the metallic hailstones on the stage, had the presence of mind not only to pick them up but pocket t h e m — a n ingenuous feat beheld yvith loud plaudits, in the midst of yvhich the youngster bowed her acknowledgment and withdreyv. Hambleton, in about a week after had his turn, when the house took £Ho, the largest receipts ever known. In June the proprietor changed the evenings of performance to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Saturday being exempted in consequence of Smith's desire not to trench upon the Sabbath. A Mr. Saville, from Sydney, introduced as "a near relative of Helen Faucit," yvas taken on, and afinalexit occurred by M r . G. P. Groves, an actor of m u c h promise, dying one night from delirium tremens at the Rose Thistle and Shamrock, in Elizabeth Street. T h e season wound up with a proprietorial benefit, patronised by the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows ; and Smith appropriated half the takings of another night, towards the erection of some public lamps, as a commencement of the lighting of the town. In July he advertised for tendersforthe erection of 15 lamps in Q u e e n Street, two to be placed at the intersection of each street, as far as Flinders Street, and the rest to be set up about the theatre. Nothing further worthy of special mention occurred until the evening of the 1st December, when there yvas a lively time of it. A Mr. R a e took his benefit from an average attendance, but there yvas some " bilking " of the bill by no means agreeable. It was advertised " that a celebrated American nigger would sing a version of ' Jim Crow ' localized by an amateur," but there was neither nigger nor s o n g — a " dark " transaction rowdily resented by the "gods." L a m p s yvere smashed, windows riddled, and pieces of moulding wrenched from thefittingsand hurled into the pit and on to the stage. Providentially, however, no skull yvas cracked from on high. The Celestials were under the generalship of an unheavenly-looking sample of a mad-drunken bushman named Francis Kimber. H e rushed into the St. John Tavern, and bellowed out that " he was delighted with having given the place next door such a tearing." S o m e police dashed after him, when he was overpowered and locked up. A s Kimber was leaving the police office after the enquiry, a Mrs. C h a p m a n recognized him as the person w h o had some ten months previously robbed her husband at their residence near the West Melbourne S w a m p , and for w h o m a warrant was out. Kimber yvas returned to the yvatchhouse on a charge of felony, and served a sentence of imprisonment for it afterwards. There yvas a good deal of briskness at Christmas, and the Old Year was boyved out by the appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Mereton, from Launceston, and their "celebrated dog, 'Dragon,'" an animal whose gifts lay more in promise than in practice. O n the 17th January, 1848, the " W o o d D e m o n " yvas placed on the stage in a manner believed to be something unapproachable in the yvay of scenic accessories and effects. T h e scenery yvas all new and freshly painted by a Mr. Lightwood, and the mechanical contrivances yvere the brain and handiwork of Capper. This branch of the establishment was authoritativelypronounced " to have no superior in the colonies—not even in Sydney."
MORTON KING.
The intimation that Mr. Morton King, a tragedian of established colonial repute, yvas engaged for a limited number of nights, stirred up the expectations of the play-going community, and he m a d e his Melbourne debut in Hamlet, on the 23rd February, 1848. At this time Mr. King was believed to be unrivalled in his line on this side of the Equator, and his impersonation of some of the principal Shakesperian characters amply sustained this high reputation in Port Phillip. Still his ability yvas handicapped by inefficient co-operation, yvhich shoyved an unaccountable laxity in the management, but succeeded so far as to remove all doubt as to his being an actor of sterling ability. Morton King yvas in the silk trade in the old country, but gave it up to folfoyv the dramatic profession, in yvhich he held a very good position prior to emigrating to N e w South Wales in 1842. U p o n arriving in the colonies he joined his brother-in-layv (a Mr. Scott) in the timber trade, but subsequently returned to the stage, playing in Sydney and Adelaide. His line yvas tragedy, and his favourite characters Hamlet, Shylock, and Richard the Third. H e yvas of the Charles K e a n school, and though not afirst-classone, yvas a very good actor. M r . King subsequently returned to Melbourne, and resumed his connection with the stage, which in the lapse of time yvas abandoned, yvhen he engaged in mercantile pursuits, and prospered for several years. A s Mr. Mark Last King he held a seat 111 the Legislative Assembly of Victoria, and was an M.P. at the time of his death. A s the annual carnival time, the race meeting approached, great preparations yvere m a d e to present attractive entertainments, and for thefirstyveek in April the theatre yvas opened every night and yvell patronised. " Ondine " and the " W o o d D e m o n " yvere the chief pieces, and the Saturday night yvound up with a grand musical display. In M a y a Mr. W a r d (a neyv arrival) appeared two or three times in "Macbeth." A Mr. Lee yvith a brace of educated dogs next turned up. This individual and his animals had previously performed at the Pavilion ; the dogs knew their business better than their master, yvho, a quiet little man, was useful as a sort of small change in those old times. BATTERS ON " THE BURST."
Another of those striking episodes which imparted a fillip to the otherwise often tame entertainments of the age, occurred on the 2nd June, the sole cause of yvhich yvas big " Dick " Batters, the yvhilom tinker tra°edian of the Pavilion. This yvorthy was in a fully developed state of drunkenness, and butted and " battered" everyone about in the pit. Smith ordered the pannikin-mender to quit the place; and undaunted by the slang and menacing attitude ofthe disturber, turned out the yvhole posse comilalus of the stage, and marched against the foe. Batters saw the coming onslaught, and promptly prepared for a vigorous defence. T h e alarmed and shrieking pitites so crushed all round the upper circle as to leave a clear fighting area in the centre, and into this ring, armed with a chair, Batters jumped and defied anyone to c o m e yvithin weapon's length of him. Smith yvould not risk a pitched battle, but retreating with his forces to the stage, the proprietor tried to talk over Batters in a fatherly fashion, but the tinker, instead of threats, adopted the admonitory style, and strongly advised M r . Smith "to go put his head in a bag." Intimation was given that such as wished to leave should have their money returned, but several, especially women, had already left yvithout any return, and such as remained preferred to see the fun out. Batters continued master ofthe "Central Province," of which he yvas noyv the sole representative, and strutted backwards and forwards from form to form yvith an assumed calmness and self-sufficiency wonderful in a drunken m a n ; but every quarter of a minute the exalted chair yvould describe some unsolvable mathematicalfigurein the air, the wild beast would yell, while Smith, from the proscenial citadel, and the midst of a vari-coloured bodyguard, vexed in the spirit, groaned resignedly. Sergeant Ashleigh, the head of the detective force, and one or two constables, yvere present, and though repeatedly requested to capture the infuriated brawler, possibly through dread of the chair, would not attempt to do so. Batters professed himself able, and only too willing, tofighteveryone in the house, and challenged and begged and prayed of them to oblige him ; but his entreaties were in vain, so long as he had a chair officiating as a "bottle-holder." At length he threw U p — n o t the sponge, but the chair, and rushed roaring into the street. Making a circuit of the outside crowd, he yvas running back again, yvhen a valorous check-taker rashly barring his yvay, got a " facer " in return, which floored him. S o m e of the police, by this time in an ambush, suddenly sprang on the tinker, who yvas overpoyvered, tied up, and rolled off on a handcart to the watch-house. T h e next morning Mr. Boyvler, a solicitor, pleaded for him before the Court, when Smith (yvho knew best the reason why) did not press for punishment. T h e outrageous delinquent yvas set at large on his personal recognizance to keep the peace for six months. T h e season yvound up with another benefit by the St. Patrick Society. In September intelligence yvas received of the death of Mrs. Coppin at Adelaide, whose short career in Melbourne brought her many friends, private as yvell as professional. Mr. Morton King reappeared in the course of October, and subsequently managed the theatre for some time. In January, 1849, there arrived from Adelaide a Mr. Thomson, "unequalled on the colonial stage as a general utility man." H e was soon folloyved by M r . Clarkson, " a celebrated acrobat from Batty's Circus, London." King, supported by Elrington and Thomson, M e s d a m e s Mereton and Chester, with a feyv others, started a round of Shakesperian pieces, and managed to get through " H a m l e t " and " Macbeth " tolerably well. Megson's orchestral music was an unfailing attraction. Royvdyism could not be thoroughly stamped out, but apple or orange throwing was the favourite recreation. O n e night a bottle yvas flung, striking one of the company without maiming or killing him, but oyving to the loyalty observed by the blackguards, inter se, a successful prosecution yvas an impossibility. In June there was introduced a Mr. Quinn, "the Australian rope-dancer," yvho yvent through some clever evolutions. King's reign terminated towards the close of the year 1849, and noyv, if ever, something yvonderful was to be done. Smith again combined the functions of proprietor and manager, and the neyv season began on the 24th September. Mr. Charles Y o u n g returned from Adelaide, and was appointed acting manager. Furthermore, it yvas publicly advertised "that the editors and reporters of the Melbourne journals will have free admission to the theatre. T h e sergeants of the town and the detective police will also be admitted free." Y o u n g used to sing nigger melodies yvith bone castanet accompaniments. Mrs. Young's dancing was ahvays a treat. In October Mr. Jackson, " the celebrated American Serenader," appeared as the " Congo Minstrel," singing the Ethiopian melody of " Dandy Jim from Caroline," and accompanying himself with the Congo bone castanets, "as originally performed by him yvith two thousand stick approbation." Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays yvere the entertainment evenings, and there were further accessions to the corps by the annexation of M r . and Mrs. Deering, Young's returned mother-in-layv Mrs. Thomson), and a colonial actor and author named Belfield, who took a poorish benefit in a piece of his own, entitled " The Rebel Chief." Christmas Eve, 1849, was very near presenting a tragedy in real life, for Mrs. Thomson went (so saith the doctors) within an eighth of an inch of killing herself. Having to appear in a prominent character in " T h e Bridge of Sighs," she is supposed to stab herself, and drop to the ground. By mistake the dagger handed for the suicidal finale yvas a sharp-pointed one, and when she delivered the prod it yvent further than intended, and was nearly fatal. Selt-yvounded, she tottered and fell on the stage. T h e blood spurted out, and in the midst of tremendous uproar Dr. Campbell yvas hurriedly brought. O n examination he ascertained that the weapon had penetrated two inches into her body in the immediate region of the heart, and very little further yvould have ended the lady's career on and off the boards of a theatre. H e staunched and dressed the wound, had the patient removed, and after a short laying-up she recovered. Nothing worthy of special notice occurred until 5th March, 1850, yvhen a grand concert yvas given by a Mr. Reed. It yvas under the patronage of the Superintendent (Mr. Latrobe), and yvas most respectably and numerously attended. Miss Sara Flower made her appearance, and yvas supported by Messrs. Young, Megson, Thomson, Lord, and Miss E m m a Reed. T h e usual orchestra was reinforced by Hore's Saxhorn Band, and a capital bill of fare, very meritoriously disposed of, yvound up yvith "Julien's celebrated D r u m Polka." THE FIRST.LOCAL PANTOMIME
Was produced on 13th May, 1850, when Young took a benefit. The pantomime, entirely new and local, was " yvritten by Mr. Young expressly for the occasion." T h e introduction of such a novelty—the first home-made composition of the kind—seems in itself of sufficient importance to justify the insertion of the name and characters of the piece. It was entitled— THE GOBLIN OF THE GOLD COAST ; Or, H A R L E Q U I N A A N D T H E MEI.BOURNITES IN CALIFORNIA,
Jupiter Mars Neptune Minerva
CELESTIALS: Mr. Belfield Hercules Mr. Wood Pluto Mr. Thompson Venus Mrs. Deering Diana TERRESTRIALS :
Mr. Charles Mr. Turner Mrs. M'Knight Mrs. Avins
Chief-Constable Brodie Mr. Ward Dick Batters (the Tinman) Mr. Montague (In which he will sing an entirely new Parody, written for this occasion, entitled, " H U R R A H ! H U R R A H ! F O R T H E GOLD.") Powel Courtier, of Cookshop Notoriety Mr. Thompson Bernard Reynolds (on the patriotic principle) ... Mr. Belfield Lumina (afterwards Columbine) ... Mrs. Avins INFERNALS : The Demon of Discord Mr. Deering Gilderkin (the Goblin) Mr. Hasker Platina (the Gold King) Mr. Crisp Ironspark, Firefly, Pinchbeck, Quicksilver, Virgingold, Copperous, etc., etc.—By a host of Auxiliaries.
There was not much merit in the production, and the " locals" had neither point nor humour to recommend them ; but the sound and fury, the jumping and capering, seemed from the uproarious acclamations to afford unstinted gratification to a thronged attendance, and Young and his patrons parted at a late hour mutually delighted with the interview. For some time Mr. J. T. Smith had ardently ambitioned election to the Mayor's Chair. H e was a leading m e m b e r of the City Council, and so surely did he calculate the probabilities of his election, that he divested himself of the theatrical management, yvhich he held to be incompatible with the office of Chief Magistrate. In October, Messrs. Morton King and Charles Young became the lessees, and declared it was their intention " to introduce all the available talent of the colonies as soon as possible, and to conduct the theatre upon a scale of respectability and liberality." Amongst other so-called improvements the place yvas decorated with gorgeous Italian scroll-work, painted in a most elaborate and chaste manner by Mr. J. P. Watts ; entirely new scenery by Mr. Lightyvood. The entertainments yvere to be a source of moral and intellectual amusement for all classes ;" and any person "smoking, or using bad language" would be immediately expelled. There yvas a grand neyv drop-scene, "View near Rome," and as the " Separation" rejoicings yvere at hand, the theatre yvas to be opened every night. M a d a m e Veilburn, the runayvay danseuse, returned, and yvas received back into the fold. Mr. Ward, an actor of some ability, yvas also engaged. A n d so the limited theatrical yvorld went on syvimmingly and remuneratively, playing the old year out and the new year in. In February, 1851, tyvo rival acrobats performed every night, and it yvas amusing to yvitness how each tried " B y holding out to tire the other down."
They yvere knoyvn respectively as Mr. R. Lin, "a famous Chinese acrobat," and Mr. Clarkson, an Englishman. About this time neyvs of Coppin's success in Adelaide had reached Melbourne, and prompted thus, no doubt, King and Young made up their minds to seek their fortunes in South Australia, King to get into the hotel business, and Young to join a neyv theatre erected in Adelaide, under the auspices of Messrs. Coppin and Lazarus. King consequently made, yvhat he then believed would be, his last appearance on the 19th February, in the character of Shy lock, and was enthusiastically received. The theatre, as such, yvas now closed for a short time, and during the interval Mr. W . S. Gibbons, who had been giving at the Mechanics' Institute an exhibition of the hydrogen gas microscope, dissolving vieyvs, and the chromatrope, transferred his apparatus and operations hither. King went his yvay, but Young, on second thought, remained as manager. T h e theatre was shortly re-opened, and had a good run during the race month of March. Some new blood had been introduced, including Messrs. Shearcroft and Gordon, a M a d a m Dias, Mrs. W . Evans, from the Theatre Royal, Adelaide, and Mr. Roche, a singer and dancer. During this month intelligence yvas received of the suicide, in San Francisco, of Mrs. Hambleton, a former associate of the theatre. She contracted an intimacy with a Mr. S. Croad, of which her husband did not approve, and on his telling her he would bloyv out Croad's brains, she, to save him any further trouble, on the 14th January bleyv out her own. In April, Mr. C. Young became sole lessee, and the theatre yvas now propelled by a fair share of steam, there being a good many attractions which pleased the public so yvell that the place was liberally supported. But then there yvas no other mart where amusement could be purchased. There yvas a grand concert occasionally at the Mechanics' Institute, but the prices were high, the snobbishness rampant, and the carte often more select than attractive. The Queen's Theatre yvas essentially the only popular establishment in existence, and to it the multitude bent their steps and took their half-croyvns. M a d a m e Jaubert, "from the Haymarket Theatre, London," arrived in Melbourne, and made a favourable impression in " T h e Soldier's Daughter." She was followed by a Mrs. Wheeler, and a Mr. Burton, an untiring spouter of comic songs; whilst Mrs. Young's lively, graceful, and artistic dancing established her a special favourite. " T h e Dream of Life," then recently played in London, was brought out, in yvhich Mr. and Mrs. Young, and Messrs. Burton and Ward scored honours. Mr. Meadows, from the Victoria Theatre, Hobart Toyvn, also made a mark.
A MASQUERADE BALL.
Port Phillip was on the eve of its emancipation from the thraldom of New South Wales, the " union" yvas about to be repealed, and the c o m m o n belief was that a few weeks more would see the province "Great, glorious and free, Firstfloyverofthe earth, andfirstg e m ofthe sea."
Loyalty to the Queen, who had given her name to the young colony, was also in a state of gush. It was therefore considered by the Theatrical Executive that it would be a great hit to get up a grand spectacular demonstration on the Queen's Birthnight (24th May), and it was done accordingly. T h e Superintendent (Latrobe) would, it yvas knoyvn, be appointed thefirstGovernor; and he yvas already honoured by the complimentary designation of "the Lieutenant Governor Elect." His patronage yvas asked and freely given, as much as possible being made of the incident in the theatrical placards and advertisements. It yvas decided to hold a public Masquerade Ball. The front of the theatre was lit up by a magnificent display offireworks,and " Gustavus, King of Syveden," was produced on a scale of splendour never before attempted in Australia. The admission tariff was fixed at ios. 6d., double tickets; single, 7s. 6d., not transferable, for which " none but respectable persons need apply." T w o months after, in July, the opera of " Maritana" yvas produced, wherein Young, as Don Ccesar, showed off "yvith his usual vivacity." Elrington, as the crafty and intriguing Jose, was "admirable," Mrs. Young's Maritana "equal to anything ever seen on the colonial boards," and "the sombre, weak, vacillating King of Spain, yvas yvell sustained" by Ward. The overture by Megson's band yvas "decidedly the finest ever heard in Melbourne." In August, a neyv trio yvere added, viz., Mr. Tomlin's band of Ethiopian Minstrels, " universally acknowledged to be the only genuine band in the colonies," Mr. Smith, from Adelaide, an adept at light characters and hornpipe, and Mr. Fayvkner, yvho made grotesque efforts to be funny yvith dubiously funny songs.
THE YELLOW FEVER.
The gold mania was noyv in its incipient throes, and as the year advanced the intensity of the yelloyv fever increased. The theatre of course required another brushing up, and Duke and Opie, the two best painters available, yvere commissioned to go to yvork. The season opened on the 17th November, 1851, for which occasion "an entertainment of the most novel and brilliant description had been prepared." Magnificent scenery yvas produced by Duke, and a neyv drop-scene by Opie. The burlesque, which recently had a long run at home, was called " The Enchanted Forest," and the acting of Mr. and Mrs. Young, yvas declared to be "first chop." A neyv comic song by Evans, was followed by the celebrated recitation "Bucks Have At Ye All" by Mrs. Young, and a Highland Fling by an amateur —the whole concluding with the laughable glee of " Our Mary Anne." Lucky gold hunters yvere noyv returning to the town to "melt their nuggets," and as a compliment to their good fortune, the performances on the 16th December yvere under the unsolicited but freely given patronage " of the gold diggers." The special novelties comprised favourite dances by a Miss Daly, comic duets by Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, the always welcome "pas seul" by Mrs. Young, comic songs by Gardiner, Sylvester's "wonderful performances on the slack rope," and, per contra, Riley's "unparalleled and astounding feats on the tight rope." O n the 29th December was produced " A splendid spectacle, adapted and localized from a German Romance,"folloyvedby a stupid trifle termed " The Gold Field, or the Mines of Mount Macedon." T h e year yvound up with " The King of the Mist, or the Miller of the Mountains." The Theatre was continued for some years, and attained a high position from the class of pieces put on the stage and the reputation of some of the performers who trod its boards. It was there the celebrated G V Brooke made hisfirstappearance in Melbourne on the 26th February, 1855. Its career as a Temple of the Drama had its end, and when other theatres sprung up in more central places, the old "Queen's" was compelled to bow to fate, and the sock and the buskin, the orchestra and gods and goddesses bade it good-bye for ever. The drop-scene yvas lowered for the last time, and it is now (1888), turned over to the common-place and matter-of-fact purpose of a carriage factory. " Sic transit gloria mundi."
ADDENDA.
Though I have closed my sketch of Melbourne's second playhouse, it would be unpardonable to dismiss the subjectfinallywithout some supplementary notice of the after career of one extraordinary man first introduced to a Melbourne public through the medium of the Queen Street Theatre, viz., Mr. George Coppin. T o do anything like justice to such a colonial career as his, would far exceed the necessarily restricted limits of a general work such as I a m yvriting. Coppin's professional biography would of itself exhaust a tolerably bulky volume, and form a contribution to dramatic literature second in interest to no other that has yet appeared. M y resume of his subsequent eventful procedure (unprecedented in this or any other country) must therefore be of a curtailed and cursory character. Cynics and jokers have frequently found pleasure in designating George Coppin an "Artful Dodger;" but anyone having a knoyvledge of, and dispassionately revieyving, his public life, cannot do otherwise than avoyv that though "dodging " might have been reduced to an art yvith him, it was not always to his own permanent advantage. N o m a n in the colony m a d e more fortunes, or had the misfortune to lose so m u c h of what he had won by honourable and persistent industry. N o sooner had he a good " pile " raised than it rapidly disappeared, and, in his singular transitions from affluence to insolvency, he had no compeer in again righting himself, replenishing, and paying off his creditors. Every reverse he met yvith only enabled him to recover from his doyvnfall yvith renewed vitality ; and the unfailing courage and indomitable energy with which he cheerfully re-commenced the battle of life, indicated the possession of an organization accorded to but few individuals. Coppin's grand mistake was a disregard of the golden rule, ne sulor ultra crepidam. H e m a d e his money by the legitimate business to which he yvas bred, and in yvhich he was an adept, and outside that he should not have travelled into other speculations. In 1852, after realizing a fortune at Geelong, he visited Adelaide. After paying off his creditors, he proceeded to England in January, 1854, and fulfilled several successful engagements there. W h e n in England Mr. Coppin arranged for the construction of an Iron Theatre to bring with him to Melbourne, the contract for which he actually signed one night whilst playing " Paul Pry " at the Theatre Royal, Manchester. This was " T h e Olympic," better known as " T h e Iron Pot," erected at the south-east corner of Lonsdale and Stephen Streets, the foundation of which yvas laid by G. V. Brooke on the 18th April, 1855. In six weeks it yvas completed, and opened by Professor Jacobs, a wonderful Wizard imported by Coppin. A corps dramaticjue, scarcely since excelled in the colony, was transported hither with " T h e Pot," in which the, dramatic season commenced on the 30th of July, the opening pieces being " T h e Lady of Lyons" and " T o Oblige Benson," the company consisting of Messrs. G. V Brooke, R. Younge, R. Heir, Harry Jackson, Leslie, Ryan, Webster, Robins, Perry, Wheeler, Lester, Sefton, M ' G o w a n ; the Misses Fanny Cathcarf, Herbert, Glyndon, Graham, St. Clair, Julia Matthews; Mesdames Brougham, M'Gowan, Avins, the Chambers Family, and though last, by no means the least, Coppin himself. O n the n t h of June, 1855, they inaugurated thefirstGrand Opera season in Melbourne, which lasted eight weeks, and a short season of English Opera was afterwards given. T h e artistes engaged yvere M a d a m e Anna Bishop, Sara Flower, Julia Harland, Mrs. Fiddes, M a d a m e Carandini, Mrs. Guerin, Mrs. Hancock; Messrs. Laglaize, Lyall, Walter Sherwin, E. Conlon, Hoyvson, Farquharson, Gregg, and Hancock. Conductors: M M . Lavenue and Lindley N o r m a n ; leader of the orchestra, M . Strebenger; a chorus of twenty-six, w h o received 20s. a night each; and a ballet led by Strebenger. T h e operas produced were :—" Norma," " L a Sonnambula," " Lucia de Lammermoor," "Martha," " Der Freischutz," " Lucrezia Borgia " " Bohemian Girl," " Maritana," " T h e Mountain Sylph," and " Masaniello." Coppin and Brooke subsequently entered into partnership and purchased the lease of the Melbourne Theatre Royal for £21,000, yvhich they opened on the 9th June, 1856, with the comedy of "She Stoops to Conquer," Coppin delivering an introductory address, and playing Tony Lumpkin. The receipts amounted to ^ 4 7 8 15s. 6d. As this was thefirstintroduction of Grand Opera, the public taste had not been educated in those days to so high a standard as to appreciate the treat, and the result—in consequence of the heavy expenses -yvas a loss to the management of ^ 3 0 0 0 . U p o n an off night, the 2nd July, when Mr. G. V. Brooke was passing through Melbourne on his way to Sydney, he made hisfirstappearance at the Theatre Royal in " T h e Serious Family," Coppin also playing in the comedy, " T o Oblige Benson," supported by the best company ever seen in Australia. The receipts yvere ,£531 16s. T h e regular dramatic season commenced on the 25th of August, 1856, with "Love's Sacrifice," and the following very excellent company : — G . V. Brooke, G. Coppin, R. Younge, R. Heir, G. Rogers, C Young, H . Edyvards, F. Young, Gordon, Sefton, Leslie, Burford, Webster, Gould, Burton, Evans, Mrs. Heir, Mrs. C. Younge, Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Thompson, Mrs. Avins, Mrs. Crosby, Mrs. Rogers, the Misses Herbert and Greer, and the sisters Nelson. CREMORNE.
Brooke and Coppin purchased the freehold of Cremorne Gardens, at Richmond, yvhich yvere opened by them on November 3rd, 1856. In the primitive times this place yvas knoyvn as Wright's Swamp, now an Inebriate Asylum, upon yvhich ,£100,000 has been expended. There the Pantheon Theatre yvas erected, and there thefirstballoon ascent in Australia took place on the ist February, 1858. Tyvo balloons yvere imported with Captain Dean and Professor Brown, two English aeronauts, yvho m a d e several successful ascents. T h e late Mr. Pond brought out for Coppin thefirstyvhite syvans ever seen in Australia ; also 500 goldfish,only landing nine of the latter, from yvhich the whole of the colony yvas eventually stocked. Three Wizards—Professor Jacobs, Mr. Anderson (the Wizard of the North) and Mr. Heller; Woodroffe's Glassbloyvers ; the Lancashire Bell Ringers ; Skaters, & c , & c , also appeared.. T h e Cremorne " spec." was not success, and Brooke and Coppin dissolved partnership on the 26th February, 1859. W h e n George Evans, the real founder of Melbourne, yvas putting up his hut off Flinders Street, the future Cremorne was visited only by aborigines, kangaroo and wild fowl. T h e settlement of the country led to its partial reclamation, and subsequent to the gold discoveries it yvas converted into a grand entertainment mart, over yvhich big pots of money yvere made and lost. In connection yvith the subject I present the folloyving curious yvaif, thefirstadvertisement issued about the place. T h e original yvas procured from Dublin for a professional purpose, by the well-known solicitor, Mr. J. S. Woolcott, w h o courteously favoured m e with a copy :— UNDER THE PATRONAGE Of T H E H O N O U R A B L E D R PALMER, SPEAKER of the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, And The Right Worshipful The Mayor, J O H N H O D G S O N , ESQ., M.L.C. C R E M O R N E GARDENS, RICHMOND. LESSEE MR. JAMES ELLIS W h o generously devotes the entire receipts of the Opening Day in aid of the fund for building a left wing to the Melbourne Hospital. S A T U R D A Y , ioth D E C E M B E R , 1853. These M A G N I F I C E N T G A R D E N S will be O P E N E D at One O'clock. The Band will perform during the afternoon. A Renowned Troop of Acrobats will exhibit their wonderful feats. Vocal and Instrumental Concert at half-past six. Dancing on the Great Platform at Eight O'clock. Fireworks at Ten. A D M I S S I O N FIVE SHILLINGS. The entire arrangements will be under the direction of Mr. Francis W . Wright Tickets to be obtained of Mr. Baker, Stationer, Swanston Street ; Mr. J. Williams, Stationer, Collins Street ; and of S. Goods, Printer, 56 Swanston Street, Melbourne.
It would occupy more space than I can spare to recount the various phases of Coppin's subsequent ups and downs, his wanderings by sea and land, his enterprise in securing the highes M r i ^ b m * or the theatres he built (six in the Australian Colonies), leased or managed and his final m n to and ermanent settlement in, the land of his adoption. Through his instrumentality more than return to and per _ conventionally termed, were introduced here, including Brooke, Mr. and Mrs. C ^ K e a n , Sir William and Lady Don. M a d a m e Celeste, Collins (the Irish comedian), James Anderson, and Talbot. The folloyving items in Coppin's professional career, posterior to the date of m y C H R O N I C L E S , will be read yvith interest:—Sailed for California on the 9th of July, 1864, after fulfilling engagements throughout America yvith Mr. and Mrs. C. Kean and Company. Returned to Melbourne on the 18th of January, 1866, with very satisfactory pecuniary results. Appeared at the Haymarket on the 27th January, 1866, in a round of his popular characters, including for thefirsttime, " Milky White" and " Coppin in California." M a d e a considerable sum of money by the engagement of the Glassblowers, Skaters, M a d a m e Celeste, Robert Heller's Entertainment, Collins the Irish Comedian, &x. Joined Messrs. Harwood, Stewart and Hennings in the management of the Theatre Royal. Purchased his partners' interests, and, after conducting itfortwelve months upon his own responsibility, a fire broke out upon the stage; the interior building was burnt to ashes on the 19th March, 1872, yvithout any portion being insured. This was another very serious loss. H e rented St. George's Hall for the sake of giving employment to his very excellent Dramatic Company. H e then leased the ground for 99 years upon which the ruins of the old Royal stood. Built the present Theatre Royal, which he afterwards formed into " The Theatre Royal Proprietary Association, Limited," now paying a good dividend. Let it to Messrs. Hanvood, Stewart, Hennings and Coppin, yvho opened it on the 5th November, 1872. At the termination of theirfiveyears' lease, it was let to Messrs. Coppin, Hennings and Grevillefor4 ^ years, after yvhich Mr. J. C. Williamson became the Lessee. But it is not only as a theatre-builder and amusement entrepreneur that Mr. Coppin has distinguished himself, for outside his professional and other pecuniary enterprises, he has thoroughly proved himself a good m a n and a valuable citizen. H e has become an identity of Richmond, and yvas tyvice elected Chairman of that Municipality ; whilst, in the broader range of Parliamentary life, he still (1888) evidences a business-like ability in legislation. H e has attained the not c o m m o n distinction of having been elected to both Houses of the Victorian Parliament. A n instance of consistency not usual with our public men, is attested by the fact that after strenuously opposing payment of members of Parliament, when the system was legalized, though he drew the ^ 3 0 0 a year, instead of pocketing it, he patriotically appropriated it to purposes of charity. As an Oddfellow he has rendered signal service to the Craft in Sydney, Adelaide, Geelong and Melbourne ; and as the founder of the Victorian H u m a n e Society, the Dramatic and Musical Association, and the Old Colonists' Fraternity, he has made a name cere percnnius, which Time cannot obliterate. From his debut in 1845 to the present moment he has been identified with almost every undertaking, charitable or otherwise, projected for the public weal, and in any way you take him, George Coppin is a m a n w h o has paid his devoirs as a true knight to the land with which he has been so long and so honourably associated. It is a singular incident that only two individuals connected with the Melbourne stage, Messrs. Coppin and M . L. King, ever found their way to the Victorian Parliament; and it is no less singular that their performances in the one arena were the direct opposite of their special roles in the other." Coppin always put away his low comedy at the doors of the Parliament House. There was little ofthe "funny m a n " in his Legislatorial career, for he invariably had the good sense to cast himself as if for a part in a " Serious Family "—and solemnly and seriously he played it. O n the other hand, King, whilst a member of the Assembly, usually took to comedy, if not of a very low, most certainly never of a very high class, though professionally his line was tragic business. I believe I a m correct in stating that the only two members of the theatrical profession in the British Empire ever known to have been elected members of Parliament, were Messrs. George Coppin, and Morton (Mark Last) King. Mr. Coppin was out of Parliament for a fev, years, but at the General Election in 1883, East Melbourne, in afitof repentant enthusiasm re-embraced her old love and he nowfiguresas a revivalist in the Legislative Assembly. Every admirer of political integrity and capacity will ardently hope that the day may be distant when Coppin shall appear " O n his Last Legs." CONCERTS.
The first recorded notice of a Vocal and Instrumental Entertainment given in Melbourne was on the 23rd December, 1839, when a Mrs. Clarke, announced as " One of the lights of the Sydney stage," treated the inhabitants to a ten-shilling "grand soiree" in the large room of the Lamb Lnn (West Collins Street). Considering the population and tastes of the time, there yvas a tolerable attendance, but the value given was of the most meagre kind. T h e valetudinarian piano, disordered in some of its strings, was amply compensated, at least in sound, by a Mr. Tickel, yvho plied a key bugle yvith m u c h animation. O n the evening ofthe 18th May, 1840, the same Tickel organized a concert entertainment at the same place, of which the following brief and unmincing notice was printed in a neyvspaper the following d a y : — " T h e room was crowded to witness one of the most disgusting exhibitions of tomfoolery seen for some time." ' Another concert is announced to have taken place soon after this, at the auction room of M r . William Barrett, norlh-yvest corner of Queen and Little Collins Streets. It is reported to have been got up by Messrs. Mills, Eburn, and an amateur. Mills' performance is described as very fair "though marred by Cockneyisms." T h e amateur "showed singing of m u c h promise but he broke doyvn in two Scotch songs;" the accompaniment was bad, but Eburn " damned the yvhole thing by his vanity or vulgarity." A s afinale," the attendance yvas not very numerous nor respectable."
THE FIRST CHARITABLE CONCERT.
Contemporaneous with the white settlement, there were musical amateurs in Melbourne, and at times they assisted at what were little more than tap-room entertainments, generally consisting of a wild chorus of songs, fiddling, and flute playing, aided by a hoarse, spasmodic piano. T h e advent of the Gautrots (popularly pronounced Go-trot) yvas hailed with satisfaction,forMonsieur and M a d a m e were not devoid of artistic ability, though from some cause or other they never attained that degree of success yvhich they deserved. In 1841, efforts yvere m a d e to found some kind of a hospital. T h e amateur portion ofthe community had been strengthened by some two or three attorneys of musical proclivities, and it was suggested to organize a concert in aid of the Hospital Fund. Gautrot gave his gratuitous assistance, and the folloyving announcement, the first ofthe kind issued in the colony, was circulated :— AMATEUR CONCERT (For benevolent purposes) to be held on W E D N E S D A Y EVENING, T H E 3KU FEBRUARY, 1841, AT THE C A L E D O N I A N H O T E L , L O N S D A L E STREET.
Stewards—William Meek, Esq., George Cavenagh, Esq., Jno. Roach, Esq.
Leader—Monsieur Gautrot.
FIRST PART.
Overture.—" II Nozzi di Figaro"—Mozart. Song.—"The Blighted Flower "—Balfe. Glee.—" The Wreath "—Mazzinghi. Quartette.—" Introduzione "—Sola. Song.—Air from the " Siege of Corinth " (Madame Gautrot)—Rossini. Solo—Violin.—" Air vairee " (Monsieur Gautrot)—Kreutzer. Glee.—" Life's a Bumper "—Webb. Song.—" All is lost now " (" Sonnambula ")—Bellini. Septette.—" Air Russe" (with variations for all the instruments, composed and dedicated to the Melbourne Amateur Society by Monsieur Gautrot)—Gautrot. SECOND
PART.
Quadrilles.—(Full Orchestra)—Muzard. Song.-" The Outlaw " (with full accompaniments)—Loder. Glee.—" The Chough and Crow "—Bishop. Duet—Piano and Violin.—" Mose en Egito "—Hertz and Lafont. ^ o n g . _ » Black Eyed Susan " (Madame Gautrot)—Dibdin. Quartette.—" Mi Vedrai " Bellini.' Duet.—" Semiramide "—Rossini. Glee.—" Hail Smiling Morn "—Spofforth. Finale.—" God Save the Queen "—Verse and Chorus—Phillips. Single tickets of admission, 15s. each ; Family single ticket, 12s. 6d. ; to be had of either ofthe Stewards, or at Messrs. Kerr and Holmes' Stationery Warehouse, Collins Street. Tickets not transferable. Doors open at Half-past Seven, and the Concert to commence at Eight o'clock precisely. T H E M E L B O U R N E H A R M O N I C SOCIETY.
The first musical combination in the colony was established under the above designation in 1841, with the folloyving office-holders :—Leader, Mr. Charles Beswicke ; Conductor, M r . William Clarke; Treasurer, Mr. John Jones Peers ; Secretaries, Messrs. Benjamin, Heape, and William Dredge. They met every Thursday evening in the Wesleyan Chapel, Collins Street, but the effort did not come to much.
A PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY
Was started in 1843, but was not successful. Amongst the most prominent names yvere Messrs. William Clarke, John Pridham Smith, Frederick L. Clay, John J. Peers, C. J. Sanford, Charles Vaughan, and Joseph Megson. At rare intervals some artiste would take a flying trip from Sydney, and for a performance or two met with a fair share of support. After the Mechanics' Institute was erected, the principal concerts were held there, and sometimes at the large rooms of the Exchange and Royal Hotels (both nearly opposite) in Collins Street. In May, 1846, a Mr. Ravac, from Adelaide, a violinist of high repute, presented some unusually superior musical entertainments at the Pritice of Wales, a fashionable hotel in Little Flinders Street East. H e was assisted by a Mr. Imberg, a pianist of eminence, both were Germans, and en route to Calcutta. The Old Charities of Melbourne owed a large debt of gratitude to the Amateur Concert-mongers, through whose instrumentality a considerable amount of money ffoyved in for the excellent purposes in yvhich every one had a c o m m o n interest. Appended is a copy of the Bill of one of these entertainments in 1845 :— GRAND AMATEUR CONCERT, In aid of the funds of the Melbourne Hospital. PROGRAMME. P A R T IST.
Overture.—" Zampa"—Herold. Duet.—" Comrade, Your Hand " (from the " Bohemian Girl ")—Balfe. Song. — " D e a r Maid" (from "Joan of Arc")—Balfe. Glee.—"Discord, Dire Sister"—Webbe. Duet.—Violoncello and Pianoforte. Song.—" The Heather Hills "—Geiki. Scena. — " For Thee Hath Beauty " (from " Oberon," yvith orchestral accompaniments)—Weber. Song. — " Wanted a Governess "—Parry. Overture.—" Semiramide "—Rossini. PART
2ND.
Overture.—" Men of Prometheus"—Beethoven. Song.—"Non PiuAndrai"—Mozart. Glee.—" Return Blest Days "—J. T. Smith. Song.—" Sister Dear" (from " Masaniello ")—Auber. Fantasia.—Pianoforte—Kalkbrenner. Song.—" Some Love One Day" (from " Der Freischutz," with orchestral accompaniments)—Weber. Glee.—" Come Live With M e "—Webbe. Duet.—" When a Little Farm W e Keep" (with orchestral accompaniments)—Parry. Overture.—" Masaniello "—Auber. Boxes—Single tickets, 7s. 6d. ; Family Boxes (admitting four), £1 4s. Pit—Single tickets, 4s. ; Family Pit (admitting four), 12s. Gallery—Single tickets, 2S. 6d. To be obtained at the offices of the Pat) lot, Gazette, Herald, Standard, and Courier newspapers ; at Messrs. Pullar's, Pittman's, and Clarke's Music and Stationery Warehouses ; at the Royal Hotel, Collins Street ; and of Mr. Smith, at the Theatre. N.B.—The Concert will commence at half past seven o'clock p.m. precisely.
THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL CONCERT.
Towards the termination of 1840, Monsieur and Madame Gautrot arrived from Sydney, and took up their residence in a brick cottage in Little Collins Street, whereon the Bank of Australasia commenced business in 1838 (now Henty's stores). They gave a concert on the 17th December in the large room of the Adelphi Hotel, Little Flinders Street, and it was pronounced a success. Mr. Superintendent Latrobe and his wife yvere present, and a gushing scribe ecstatically wrote of it, " That the music, both instrumental a n d vocal, w a s really enchanting, a n d the b e a u t y a n d fashion of the period w e r e so largely represented that it seemed a perfect Paradise." O n the 18th of the same month Mr. Nathan, a musical composer of some celebrity from Sydney, gave a grand vocal concert at the same place. This was so select, that full dress costume yvas enjoined from visitors, whilst tickets of admittance were (single) 15s., and family ones (for two) one guinea. The attendance was too circumscribed to be profitable to the professional treasury, a circumstance not much to be yvondered at. OLD TOWN BANDS. The first Town Band in Melbourne was formed in 1839, and consisted of about a dozen players, the names and instruments of some of them being :—Milstead, bass trombone; Oliver, tenor trombone • Browne, bassoon ; Griffiths and Tickel, key bugles (cornets being then unknoyvn); Picknell and Smith, clarionets; Drane, piccolo; Holley and Wilkinson,flutes;Anderson (a man of colour, yclept "Black Jack"), big drum ; Hamilton, side-drum ; and Samuel, triangle. George Tickel, a plasterer by trade, yvas the leader. Some old colonists will remember his achievements at many of the early land sales, and, as liquors of all descriptions were provided by the auctioneers, poor Tickel acquired a habit of drinking, yvhich shortened his days. The band made itsfirstpublic appearance in the streets of Melbourne late on Christmas Eve, starting from the Golden Fleece, an hotel of dubious belongings, in Bourke Street, near Kirk's Bazaar. Mr. H. N. Carrington, a then yvell-knoyvn attorney, and resident in Lonsdale Street, gave them an acceptable greeting by rolling out a cask of wine into the street, and the welcome Christmas-box was quickly tapped and disposed of. In Spencer Street, adjoining what was known as " the Government block," yvas a stockade of convicts employed on street-making. These fellows, not knoyving what was up, sallied forth in a rather undress condition, and, dashing by the half-drunk, sleepy sentry or two supposed to be "on guard," struck in with the moving assemblage, and added a neyv feature to the procession. In Little Flinders Street, then a locality of importance, the Ship Lnn was kept by a jolly-faced, free-handed Boniface named Lee, and here, after a promiscuous liquoring up, and making other festive calls of a like kind, a noisy dispersion wound up the serenading. A second and more select band yvas organized in 1841, of yvhich the Messrs. Middlemiss, Mr. Stainsby, and Mr. Roberts (of a well-known firm, Roberts and Fergusson) yvere members.
THE FIRST MENAGERIE.
In March, 1847, there was opened in a wooden building, at the corner of Bourke and Elizabeth Streets, opposite the Post Office, a wild beast exhibition, but the enterprise was compelled to shut up shop, and of the future of the elephant and his companions in captivity history sayeth nothing.
THE FIRST CIRCUS.
In the beginning of 1849 there yvas an area of unoccupied land at the south side of Little Bourke Street East, between Russell and Stephen Streets, in the neighbourhood of a rowdy tavern, known as the Horse and Jockey, and which in after time became the most malignant ulcer of Melbourne back slumdom. 1'his was selected by a Mr. Hayes as the most suitable place for a canvas pavilion, and made such progress that by April everything was ready for action—horses, lady and gentleman "jocks," ground and lofty tumblers, and divers and sundry other accessories. The establishment was to be an Antipodean " Astley's," and application was made to the Superintendent for a license. This was referred by Mr. Latrobe to the local Bench of Magistrates, whereupon other amusement managers urged strong objections to Hayes, the principal one being that a circus should be in a more convenient, central, and reputable position. Mr. J. T. Smith, the proprietor of the Queen Street Theatre, considered that if there yvas to be a circus he ought to have a monopoly, and he offered to attach one to his play-house ; whilst a Mr. Powell Courtier, known as the "Fire King," from his self-vaunted skill in pyrotechnic displays, and who had obtained a small notoriety by conjuring on the racecourse, promised that, should his application be acceded to, he yvould produce circus exhibitions beside yvhich anything else attemptable in the Province would dyvindle to insignificance. The Justices deferred dealing yvith the several applications until the 5th May, the annual Publicans' Licensing day, when the circus question yvas summarily dealt with by a refusal of all the applications. Hayes at once boldly declared his intention of disregarding the refusal, and would go on without a license. If the law necessitated such a formal permission, he could easily evade it, and in any case his promises to the public should be redeemed, license or no license. Accordingly, on the 9th May, the pavilion was formally opened, the entertainment was free of charge, but every person seeking admission was to purchase a cigar at the door for half-a-croyvn, and, puffing, pass in. T h e neighbourhood of the pavilion was then beginning to acquire the bad odour, for yvhich it since became famous, for in every direction yvere taking root steyvish dens, reeking with infamy, some of which have since been knoyvn as the social plague spots of the city. T h e consequence yvas, that with little more than the faintest semblance of a circus, the occasion scraped together the scum of all the loyv villainy of the town ; and during, and for hours after, the performances, the place and its precincts yvitnessed scenes of riot, blackguardism, and outrage of every kind. It so continued, and, whilst the authorities yvere considering the most effective means for its suppression, the concern suppressed itself by a burst-up, and the few horses and all the other tayvdry paraphernalia were turned over to the hammer of an auctioneer. With the disappearance of his circus, Hayes also made himself scarce, and nothing further was ever publicly heard of him.
THE PIRST BLONDIN.
On the 3rd May, 1849, about five thousand persons congregated at the Melbourne Wharf to behold an ante-Blondin named Quinn, perform the feat of " crossing the line " over the Yarra. A rope made fast was passed over some tyventy feet above the yvater, and triced midyvay to the mast of a cutter moored there for the purpose. Quinn, yvith a balancing pole, got through half of his journey, yvhen the rope slackened a little, causing him to lose his footing; but recovering, he went through a variety of evolutions with hands and feet, and, by the same agency, worked his passage back to the starting point. The performance, altogether, occupied tyventy minutes, and the distance was about a hundred yards. It yvas declared " that nothing like it had ever before been attempted in the Australian colonies." Mr. Michael M'Namara, a tailor and City Councillor, passed round the hat.
THE FIRST VENTRILOQUISTS
To make a public appearance in Melbourne were a Messrs. M'Gregor and Meymott, Sydney arrivals, who, in June, 1849, gave some clever ventriloquial and musical entertainments at the Prince of Wales Hotel.
THE FIRST MESMERIST.
The first recorded experiments in animal magnetism yvere effected by Mr. George Wright, at Geelong, on the 22nd October, 1849. Great interest was excited, and several persons were operated upon with much success, especially in the case of three boys.