Sole Brothers' Circus
Sole Brothers' Circus, also known as Sole Bros. Circus was an Australian circus which toured Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
The circus was started by William Sole and his wife Eliza Jane Perry. Eliza was the daughter of William Perry who swapped his pub for a small circus in the 1870s.
William and Eliza had six children who all performed in the circus. Andy and Jack Sole were "world-renowned jockey riders".[1]
From 1926 to 1929, the circus performed three seasons in South Africa. While in the Congo, they performed for the King of the Belgians.[2] They then took time off from performing to prospect for diamonds.[3] They returned to Australia in 1929.[4]
Eliza's brother Joseph Kevin (Joe) Perry later became managing director and proprietor of Sole Brother's Circus.[5]
The circus made headlines in 1936 in Brisbane, when a lioness broke into the tiger enclosure and a fight broke out in front of a live audience.[6]
References
- ↑ "ST. LEON AND SOLE'S CIRCUS". Northern Star. 47. New South Wales, Australia. 3 August 1922. p. 4. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ Valentine St Leon, Mark. "Lindsay, Mary Ann Josephine (1892–1975)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Australian National University. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
- ↑ "THE LUCK OF THE CIRCUS POTHOLE.". The Evening News (2522). Queensland, Australia. 8 October 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "DIAMOND RUSH". The Sun (5666). New South Wales, Australia. 5 January 1929. p. 4 (LAST RACE RESULTS). Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Family Notices". The Canberra Times. 58, (17,562). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 29 October 1983. p. 26. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- ↑ "Fight Between Lioness and Tiger". Northern Standard (Australian newspaper) (78). Northern Territory, Australia. 2 October 1936. p. 3. Retrieved 15 August 2016 – via National Library of Australia.