Star of Stage and Screen – Albert Whelan

Albert Waxman of Old Coolgardie

Among the hundreds of men who came to Coolgardie in the first few months of 1892 were many who possessed social talents of some kind or other, and often beyond the ordinary in standard.

Albert Waxman, better known as Albert Whelan, was one such man – Born in Ballarat in 1875 and educated at the Melbourne Grammar School. He joined the gold rush to Coolgardie, he was however no gold seeker. He was to find his niche in entertainment after first taking a job as a civil servant. He delighted the tough, rough, bored, and tired diggers. He was just what they needed. His first ‘playhouse’ was a tent.

Albert Whelan

Soon he was recognised as first class and a ‘rising star’ and was so reported to the famous firm of J C Williamson. But mistakenly the name given was ‘Albert Whelan” — And as ‘Whelan’ he was booked. He retained that name for his stage appearances. His progress was rapid, and in 1901 he appeared in London….

A very long call from Bayley Street, Coolgardie to Leicester Square.

In Sydney in 1897 he married a lady by the name of Florence MACRAE. There was to be a scandal many years later in 1924 when Florence was to take Albert to court and a decree was made for ‘restitution of conjugal rights. He had deserted her in March 1923. The law decreed that the couple live together again and failure to do so could mean ex-communication. This archaic law was to be abolished in 1970.

Daily News 23 January 1924

Many of his earlier performances in Coolgardie were held at the ‘Theatre Royal’. The theatre was eventually to be used as one of the first school rooms in Coolgardie.

The Theatre Royal Coolgardie – Photo SLWA

By 1914 he was top billing and appeared with many celebrities on the music hall stage. This continued until 1960 with about sixty-eight years of successful stage appearances. He died in 1961 in London at the age of eighty-six years…. A most successful stage celebrity entertainer.

You can find recordings of many of the performances on ‘YouTube’ such as this one –
I’m Happy when I’m Hiking

He also appeared in several movies.

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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