NAT HANLEY - Australian Variety Theatre Archive · 2018. 5. 13. · 1914 Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW) 22 Oct. 1914, 8. Australian Variety (Sydney) 16 Dec. 1914, n. pag. Maitland Daily

NAT HANLEY

AUSTRALIAN VARIETY THEATRE ARCHIVE: RESEARCH NOTES

See last page for citation, copyright and last updated details.

(ca. 1894-1952) English-born comedian, musician, revue writer, company leader, ragtime dancer, boxer. [Born

Nathaniel John Brooks]

After arriving in Australia shortly before World War I, Nat Hanley maintained a presence in the local entertainment

industry up until at least 1939. His built his whistling, impersonation and monologue act around his piano playing, but

also partnered other well-known artists. He produced revusicals in the 1920s, and was a member of numerous variety

companies, including the Gay Follies (1914), Empire Comedy Co (1915), K-Nuts (1919), the So and So's (1923), and

his own troupe the Nat Hanley Revue Co (aka the Zigzag Revue Co). Hanley also established several short-term

partnerships during his career, including those with Jack Kearns (1941), Muriel Dale (1917), Arthur Elliott (1922) and

Joe Valli (1933). He spent seven months working overseas in 1930 (including Britain, America and South Africa) and

remained active in Australia as a performer until the year before his death.

► See also: the AVTA's Nat Hanley biography.

NB: There are more images from the Brooks family at the end of this document.

Nat Hanley (left)

All images

courtesy of the

Brooks family unless otherwise

noted.

https://ozvta.com/troupes-g-l/

https://ozvta.com/troupes-s-z/

https://ozvta.com/practitioners-k/

https://ozvta.com/practitioners-e/

https://ozvta.com/practitioners-u-v/

http://ozvta.com/practitioners-h/

1914

Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW) 22 Oct. 1914, 8.

Australian Variety (Sydney)

16 Dec. 1914, n. pag.

Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW) 24 Oct. 1914, 4.

►

1915

Australian Variety (Sydney) 29 July 1914, 6.

Auckland (NZ)

New Zealand Herald (Auckland, NZ) 3 Aug. 1915, 4.

_____________

Observer (Auckland, NZ) 9 Aug. 1917, 9.

Auckland (NZ)

"Opera House." New Zealand Herald (Auckland, NZ)

4 Aug. 1915, 5.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-

bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19150804.2.33&srpos=

3&

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=NZH19150804.2.33&srpos=3&



Wellington (NZ)

Dominion (Wellington, NZ) 1 Oct. 1915, 9.

Dunedin (NZ)

Otago Daily Times (Dunedin, NZ) 8 Nov. 1915, 1.

Regional New South Wales

Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong, NSW) 24 Dec. 1915, 7.

Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong, NSW) 31 Dec. 1915, 7.

►

1916

Australian Variety (Sydney) 19 Jan. 1916, n. pag.

Regional New South Wales

Goulburn

Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW) 6 June 1916, 2.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/page/9597634

Bathurst

National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW) 12 Aug. 1916, 4.


Newcastle

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW)

19 Sept. 1916, 8.

Bathurst

National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW) 27 Nov. 1916, 2.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/158532526




1917

Goulburn (NSW)

Goulburn Evening Penny Post (NSW) 4 Aug. 1917, 2.


Brisbane (Fullers Theatres)

"Empire Theatre." Brisbane Courier 20 Aug. 1917, 4.


Wagga Wagga (NSW)

Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW) 20 Oct. 1917, 5.



1918

Hobart

Kurri Kurri (NSW)

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate

(NSW) 24 Apr. 1918, 6.

Newcastle (NSW)

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate

(NSW) 6 May 1918, 8.

Wollongong (NSW)

1919

Katoomba (NSW)

Blue Mountain Echo (Katoomba, NSW) 4 Feb. 1919, 4.


cont...

Moree (NSW)

Moree Gwydir Examiner and General Advertiser (NSW)

3 June 1919, 2.


Blue Mountain Echo (Katoomba, NSW) 14 Feb. 1919, 1.


◄




Sydney

Australian Variety (Sydney) 5 Sept. 1919, 5.

Theatre Magazine (Sydney) Oct. 1919, 28.

Theatre Magazine (Sydney) Nov. 1919, 28.

Australian Variety (Sydney) 24 Dec. 1919, 27.

1920

Newcastle (NSW)


21 Feb. 1920, 12.



25 Feb. 1920, 6.


Bathurst (NSW)

National Advocate (Bathurst, NSW) 10 Apr.

1920, 3.



New Zealand

Fielding

Fielding Star (NZ) 25 May 1920, 3.

Gisborne

Poverty Bay Herald (Gisborne, NZ) 25 June 1920, 5.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-

bin/paperspast?a=d&d=PBH19200625.2.45&e

Dunedin

Otago Daily Times (Dunedin, NZ) 8 Nov. 1920, 1.

Christchurch

Press (Christchurch, NZ) 6 Dec. 1920, 1.

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=PBH19200625.2.45&e

http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=PBH19200625.2.45&e

1921

Wellington

Evening Post (Wellington, NZ) 3 Jan. 1921, 2.

Auckland

Auckland Star (NZ) 20 May 1921, 10.

Wellington

Evening Post (Wellington, NZ) 23 July 1921, 9.

Orange (NSW)

Bathurst (NSW)

Orange (NSW)



1922

Maitland (NSW)


Brisbane

Brisbane Courier 26 Aug. 1922, 2.

"The Empire." Brisbane Courier 11 Sept. 1922, 8.


Brisbane Courier 11 Sept. 1922, 2.



Newcastle (NSW)

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW) 28 Sept. 1922, 8.

Adelaide

Mail (Adelaide) 21 Oct. 1922, 3.


Perth

West Australian (Perth) 8 Dec. 1922, 2.


1923

Perth

Daily News (Perth) 5 Jan. 1923, 6.


Fremantle (WA)


1924

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW) 19 Sept. 1924, 10.

1927

Sydney

Evening News (Sydney) 14 Jan. 1927, 4.

Perth

Mirror (Perth) 4 June 1927, 7.

Newcastle (NSW)

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner's Advocate (NSW) 24 Dec. 1927, 12.

1928

Advertiser (Adelaide) 28 Jan. 1928, 19.


Everyone's (Sydney) 1 Aug. 1928, 42.


Brisbane

Worker (Brisbane) 5 Dec. 1928, 15.

Brisbane Courier 12 Dec. 1928, 7.


Sydney

Launceston (Tas)


1929

Mercury (Hobart) 8 Jan. 1929, 5.


Perth

Daily News (Perth) 1 Feb. 1929, 7.

Daily News (Perth) 12 Feb. 1929, 10.

cont...

Queenslander (Brisbane) 12 Sept. 1929, 58.

(Keith Conley is actually Keith Connelly)


1930

Townsville (Qld)

Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld) 5 July 1930, 3.

1931

Sydney

Sydney Morning Herald 22 May 1931, 2.

Perth

Daily News (Perth) 21 Sept. 1931, 2.


Newcastle (NSW)

Newcastle Sun (NSW) 3 July 1931, 8.


Perth

Mirror (Perth)19 Sept. 1931, 11.



1933

Wollongong (NSW)

South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW)

30 June 1933, 9.

Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong, NSW) 20 Oct. 1933, 5.


Illawarra Mercury (Wollongong, NSW) 27 Oct. 1933, 6.


1934

Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW) 13 Feb. 1934, 12.


Adelaide

Advertiser (Adelaide) 14 July 1934, 2.

Brisbane

Courier Mail (Brisbane) 1 Sept. (1934), 2.

Townsville (Qld)

Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld)

22 Dec. 1934, 3. ►


1935

Sydney

The Biz (Fairfield, NSW) 8 Mar. (1935), 5.

Newcastle (NSW)

Wollongong (NSW)

Illawarra Mercury 10 May 1935, 12.


13 Apr. 1935, 2.

Sydney

◄

Cootamundra (NSW)

Cootamundra Herald (NSW)

13 Sept. 1935, 6.


291922

Cootamundra (NSW)

Cootamundra Herald (NSW)

16 Sept. 1935, 2.


26

Echuca (Vic)

Riverine Herald (Echuca, Vic)

10 Oct. 1935, 1.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/

116558650

Riverine Herald (Echuca, Vic) 7 Oct. 1935, 3.







Tasmania

Hobart

Mercury (Hobart) 7 Nov. 1935, 7.




Franklin

Huon and Derwent Times (Franklin, Tas) 21 Nov. 1935, 5.

Hobart




1936

Brisbane

Courier Mail (Brisbane) 30 Apr. 1936, 4.


Courier Mail (Brisbaner) 18 July 1936, 11.


Courier Mail (Brisbane) 1 Sept 1936, 2.

Courier Mail (Brisbane) 7 Sept 1936, 2.



cont...

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld) 8 Sept. 1936, 9.


Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld) 23 Oct. 1936, 3.


Courier Mail (Brisbane) 27 Nov. 1936, 2.

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld) 23 Dec. 1936, 5.



1937

Brisbane

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld) 22 Jan. 1937, 4.

Worker (Brisbane) 26 Jan. 1937, 24.


Courier Mail (Brisbane) 6 Feb. 1937, 9.




Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld) 12 Feb. 1937, 5.


Courier Mail (Brisbane) 17 Apr. 1937, 10.

Rockhampton (Qld)

Central Queensland Herald (Rockhampton)

9 Sept. 1937, 57.


◄



Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser

(Qld) 15 Sept. 1937, 10.


Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 22 Sept. 1937, 12.


Brisbane

Queensland Times (Ipswich, Qld) 24 Sept. 1937, 11. Hanley's company possibly being managed by Bert Corrie.

Rockhampton (Qld)

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 25 Sept. 1937, 2.



Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 15 Oct. 1937, 12.

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 16 Nov. 1937, 12.

1938

Courier Mail (Brisbane) 3 Mar. 1938, 18.

Courier Mail (Brisbane) 11 May 1938, 25.

Brisbane

Courier Mail (Brisbane) 20 Sept. (1938), 19.

Courier Mail (Brisbane) 31 Dec. (1938), 12.

1939



New South Wales

South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus

(NSW) 7 July 1939, 16.


Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta, NSW) 11

Oct. 1939, 8.


1940-1952

cont...

South Coast Times and Wollongong Argus (NSW)

10 May 1940, 6.



Sydney Morning Herald 15 Mar. 1941, 2.

Cumberland Argus and Fruitgrowers Advocate (Parramatta, NSW) 25 Sept. 1946, 11.



Newcastle Sun (NSW) 5 June 1947, 16.

Wellington Times (NSW) 9 May 1949, 6.

Wellington Times (NSW) 12 May 1949, 7.


►

Sydney Morning Herald 1 Nov.

1946, 7.

Sydney

Newcastle (NSW)


Rockhampton (Qld)

Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld) 10 June 1949, 2.

Cumberland Argus (Parramatta, NSW) 4 July 1951, 1.

Goulburn Evening Post (NSW) 21 Dec. 1950, 4.


►


Miscellaneous and Family Images

L: With unidentified friend (possibly 1920s).

ca. 1940s

Making blackface charcoal in a drum

So and So's Company postcard (Perth, 1923). (see Nat Hanley biography for front of postcard)

Connie (4th

from left), n. yr.

Additional information contributed by Terry Brooks (Nat Hanley's son). All images are from the Brooks family collection unless otherwise noted.

Australian Variety Theatre Archive: Research Notes

Published by Clay Djubal: 30/12/2014 • Last updated: 11/05/2018

NB: The URL for this PDF will change each time it is updated. If you wish to link to this record please use the following:

Australian Variety Theatre Archive • http://ozvta.com/entrepreneurs-g-l/

The information within these pages should be considered a snapshot only. Its purpose is to serve as a basis for further

investigation and as a repository for online references that may eventually disappear.

Any works snagged or transcribed from other sources remain the copyright of their respective authors/publishers.

The authorship and/or original publication details are provided and these should be cited (not the AVTA).*

New information is continuously being made available as more newspapers are digitised by Trove (Australian National Library

Digitised Newspapers resource)

* Materials published in this entry will be removed if requested by the copyright owner. Please contact the AVTA.

Top row, third from left

With Colin and Natalie (ca. 1950).

R: With sons Colin (L) and Terry (R) in1943.

Documents

NAT HANLEY - Australian Variety Theatre Archive · 2018. 5. 13. · 1914 Maitland Daily Mercury (NSW) 22 Oct. 1914, 8. Australian Variety (Sydney) 16 Dec. 1914, n. pag. Maitland Daily