Burton’s Circus at Richmond

Citation

Burton’s Circus at Richmond 1855: Peter MacFie, Coal River Historical Journal, 2001, No. 2

Outline

An account of when the circus came to Richmond, and the connection with the Beatles and the Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club album.

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Burtons Circus at Richmond 1855 (2018-06-20).pdf

Excerpt

In June 1855 a famous troupe of entertainers, Burton’s National Circus, performed at Richmond for two days, en route to Launceston. The circus, led by performer/manager Henry Burton, was one of the first to travel around provincial Australia – and there’s even a connection with a song of the Beatles………

The Mercury newspaper regretted the unique troupe’s unsuccessful visit to Hobart, due in part to the ‘severe inclemency of the weather.’ – it was the middle of winter after all;

“… it is admitted by all that an equestrian troupe has never visited this colony in any way comparable to that of Mr Burton’s…”

The paper hoped they would be ‘more liberally patronised (at Launceston) than they had been in Hobart Town.

‘Circus’ of the mid-19th century featured acrobats who rode and used performing horses as part of their act. The only ‘wild’ animals were two monkeys.

A feature of the bill of Burton’s Circus was ‘the very extraordinary feats of Signor Pablo Fanque, and other celebrities.’ Pablo Fanque, the advertisement emphasised, was

‘The GREATEST TIGHT ROPE DANCER in the WORLD!’

Which is where the connection with the Beatles comes in – for those who know their Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club album.

After leaving Richmond the troupe intended moving to Launceston via Richmond, O’Brien’s Bridge (Glenorchy), New Norfolk , Brighton, Green Ponds (Kempton), Oatlands, Ross, Campbell Town, Longford, Westbury, and Evandale.[1]

…..

End of Excerpt

References from Excerpt

[1] Mercury 4/6/1855 p 3. AOT

Indexed subjects

accordion

acrobats

Adelaide

bare-back riding

Beatles

Billy Button’s Ride to Brentford

Blythe Waterland Ethiopean Minstrels

Botany Bay

Burton, Henry

Burton’s National Circus

chimpanzee

circus

circus poster

clowns

Cook, ? (Mrs James)

Cook, James

Downey, Major John

Fanque, Pablo

For the Benefit of Mr Kite

horses (clowning)

horses (performing)

Lennon, John

Maitland ponies

McCartney, Paul

Monkey Rider

monkeys.

Negro minstrels

Oatlands

Richmond

Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club album

Sir Joseph Banks Hotel

tambourine

tightrope dancer

vaudeville

Peter MacFie, Historian