Maree Austin further photographs and personal papers

PXE 1821

fonds

1913-2004

Graphic Materials, Textual Records, Photographs, Ephemera, Drawings

9637040

544 photographic prints - black and white, some colour
1 album (15 photographic prints) - black and white
1 scrapbook (99 pages), includes photographs, clippings and ephemera
4 drawings - pencil, watercolour
0.02 metres of textual material (2 folders), includes photographs - typescript, manuscript

Elva Maree Austin (1931-2017), known more widely by her stage name Maree Austin, was born in Sydney to Elva (Elvie Boyle) and Charles Austin (married in 1923).

She was a theatre actress, dancer and singer who performed in various night clubs in Sydney in the 1940s-1950s, and was involved in many theatre productions around Australia. In 1952, she also performed in Japan and Korea for Australian service men of R.A.A.F.'s No. 77 Squadron who referred to her as "Miss Jet".

In 1960s joined the Metropolitan Opera National Company in New York and travelled around America with her second husband Irving Rosenthal who was a trombone player.

Austin lived in America through the 1980s and was based in Pine Bush, New York where she was involved in directing and choreography in theatrical productions for smaller companies including Pine Bush High School in the 1990s where she lived with her third husband was Vito Farinola. She visited Australia several times while living in America.

Reference
Library correspondence file

This collection includes photographs of Maree Austin's early life and performances in Australia 1949 -1964, concert tour in Korea 1952 including Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan, career in the UK 1964-1966, documentation and ephemera from her time in the USA with the Metropolitan Opera National Company 1965-1968, other performing and choreography positions including Shadowland Theatre, Pine Bush High School, and her ballet company 1986-1993.

Photographs, 1913-1987
Box 1
1-185. Photographs relating to Maree Austin's early life, family and performances at nightclubs and theatres, approximately 1913-1950s. Includes newspaper clippings and printed ephemera
Includes photographs of Elva/Elvie Boyle (d. 1984) and Charles Austin 1913-1920s, wedding photo, Maree Austin a baby, child and young ballerina, family holidays including Christmas in Kiama 1933, school photographs, signed photo of Dot Rankin in Aladdin Theatre Royal Sydney 1940 by Nanette Kuehn, group photo of Kathleen Gorham, Betty Donaldson, Pat Firman?, Beatrice Wenban, Mitzi Newton and Maree Austin at the Royal Easter Show 1941, photographs of Maree Austin with Cyril Ernestine taken for The Sun Associated Newspapers Sydney with relating newspaper clipping 1947, various portrait photographs of Maree Austen 1947-1949 including some of Maree aged 16 by Stillman Studios, trip to New Zealand with Levante 1949 by Bridgewater and Speciality Studios in Pitt Street, floor show at Club Roosevelt Orwell Street Potts Point with Craig Crawfield, Michael Duffield, Con Coleano, June Clyne, Peter Medoza and Dot Mendoza by John Lee signed 'Dot' 1950-1951, letter of engagement from Fifi Banvard Productions Theatre Royal, Hobart 1950 and various production photographs of Maree Austin with Fifi Banvard, Eric Reiman and Daphne Winslow in 'Susan and God', Bonita Harvey, Gwen Friend, William Rees in 'Clutterbuck' Hobart , Spencer Teakle in 'Ah! Wilderness'

Boxes 2-3
1-188. Photographs of family, theatre and concert performances, approximately 1947-1987. Includes newspaper clippings and printed ephemera
Includes Charles Austin (d. 1968) by Mirror Newspapers Limited, Maree Austin at wedding 1951, The Stalk Club Sylvania 1952, Sammy Lee’s Club Centennial Park in 1950s and Princes restaurant Martin Place Sydney, 21st birthday photos 31 May 1952, portrait of Maree Austin by Tony Cleal, calendar girl photographs of Maree Austin by John Hearder 1953 with related printed ephemera, letter from Telecast Company to Maree Austin re Japan and Korea tour of Australian service camps 21 August 1952 with photograph by Norman L Danvers and portrait by C.M. Bradney 77 Sqdn. R.A.A.F. Korea signed by various soldiers, production photos of Paris By Night at Tivoli Theatre and Sound of Music, letter of thanks from Bill Lake regarding death of Beryl Cheers 1981, Metropolitan Opera National Company 1965-1968 and Shadowland Theatre's Glass Menagerie 1987 and The Gin Game, The Whit-Low Singers with members of The Lovin' Spoonfuls, Maree with Jack Lowe, photograph of Kathleen Gorham, Michelle Ahunziata? backstage at first ballet school recital Pine Bosh New York, various portrait photographs of Maree Austin including a pencil drawing signed 'Ray B. ? 10.11.1952', loose newspaper clippings and letter of recommendation to English theatres from Tivoli Circuit director 19 August 1964

Box 4
1-15. Album of photographs relating to the wedding of Maree Austin and John at St Philip's Church, Church Hill, Sydney, photographs by John Hearder, some loose, probably 1950s. Includes envelope of 18 proofs and wedding brochure for St Philip's Church, Church Hill, Sydney

Box 5
1-3. Portraits of Maree Austen by John Hearder, probably 1950s
4. Photograph from a scene in La Traviata, January 1967 by Fred Fehl, New York
5-6. Photographs of guests at Elva and Charles Austin's wedding reception by Leigh Studio
7. Wedding photograph of Elva and Charles Austin
8-11. Photographs of Maree Austin with her parents Elva and Charles Austin
12-13. Photographs of Maree Austin riding Oswald the horse, Sunnycroft, 1971
14. Photograph of Francis Waters and Maree Austin at Coogee Bay Hotel, Christmas Day, 1972
15. Photograph of a group of men in suits by The Leicagraph Co. Pty. Ltd., Stand Arcade, Sydney
16-127. Photographs relating to the Telecast tour of Korea/Japan for Army Amenities, 1952. Includes black and white travel photos, and photographs of Eve Boswel and Frankie Howard's British Concert Party, Canadian Concert Party, performers Evie Glaze comedian, Pat T? television pianist and Bill Johnson actor, John Cameron, Charles Norman and Maree Austin

Drawings
Box 6
1. Pen and ink portrait of Maree Austin by Frants Folmer, Slide Door Studio, New York
2. Pencil caricature drawing 'Loosey the Loon' with 'Love and Kisses' [from] 'Ruth? Dounce?'
3. Watercolour drawing of man holding parasol for lady with fan, signed 'Janet' lower left corner, with pencil sketch on verso

Personal papers, 1970-2004
Folder 1
Typescript and manuscript travel diary entries relating to travels on Colombo, England and Egypt
Letters to family and friends, most undated, some manuscript, typescript and photocopies, approximately 2000-2004.
Manuscript letters and greeting cards from Joan and John Hague, 1997-2011 enclosing family photograph. Includes black and white photographs 'Ma Austin, Ma Boyle and Maree 1932' and colour photographs (26), approximately 1997-2000 of Charles and Elva Austin's grave, family Christmas photograph, photographs of children, Matt with Olympic torch
Manuscript letter from Audley Maiden, Potts Point to Maree Austin complimenting her on her singing, 1953

Folder 2
Membership cards, 1970-1991, includes Actors Equity Association - New York, Screen Actors Guild - New York, American Guild of Musical Artists, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, British Actors Equity Association
Postcard from Maree Austin to E. Austin wishing her a happy mother's day, 1973
Annotated typescript of a biography/memoir
Photographic print of collage of press clippings relating to performances of Maree Austin in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney and Melbourne, by John Hearder, Castlereagh Street, Sydney

Printed ephemera and scrapbook, 1940-2004
Box 7
Scrapbook of newspaper clippings, photographs and theatre ephemera relating to performances in Sydney, Hobart, Melbourne, Adelaide, Korea, Japan and America, approximately, 1940-2004.

Loose posters and printed ephemera from Pine Bush High School and Shadowland productions in New York where Maree Austin was assistant director/choreographer and Metropolitan Opera National Company, 1966-1967, 1980-1995. Includes press clippings career in America, 1966, 2000-2002

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder