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Source: Table Talk 26 March 1914, p.35
Tom Buckley Tom Buckley i(7970765 works by)
Born: Established: 1841 ; Died: Ceased: 1937
Gender: Male
Arrived in Australia: 1869
Heritage: Irish
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BiographyHistory

Tom Buckley moved from Ireland to America as a youth and during the Civil War served as a drummer boy with the 11 Massachusetts Regiment. After the war he established himself as a dancer and multi-instrumentalist on the minstrel stage before coming to Australia for Frank Weston in 1869. He formed a highly popular stage and business partnership with Charles Holly in 1871, and together they toured with various companies around Australasia off and on until the late-1880s (this included several of their own troupes). Buckley also established his own touring companies during the late 1880s and early 1890s before turning to acting. Long associated with J.C. Williamson and Allan Doone he often appeared on radio during the late 1920s and 1930s and was still acting in his early nineties.

[Source: Australian Variety Theatre Archive]

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • Possibly born Thomas Francis Couglan in either Athlone (Roscommon) or Erin (Castleisland, Kerry) Ireland.

  • From the 1920s onwards Buckley's arrival in Australia is usually reported as being 1862 or 1865. He records in the 1914 Table Talk interview, however, that he came here under contract to Frank Weston (making it 1869). This is supported by an article published in the 5 April 1869 edition of the South Australian Register which records his recent arrival from New York, along with Messrs Hammond and Peel (p.3).

  • A number of Buckley's obituaries erroneously refer to him as George Buckley. That is the name, however, of another Civil war veteran (buried in the Ipswich Cemetery, Queensland).

Last amended 23 Oct 2014 10:06:51
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