Harold Blair
Harold Blair | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | May 21, 1976 | (aged 51)
Nationality | Australian |
Occupation | Tenor (singer) |
Harold Blair
Early life
Blair was born at the Barambah
At the age of 17, he was working as a tractor driver at the
Singing career
He entered the
In 1951, the
He cancelled his 41st concert in the series, at City Hall, Brisbane, due to a heavy cold[16] but, though suffering laryngitis, gave a good concert at Maryborough three weeks later.[17] He then returned to Brisbane, but was not in good voice.[18] and gave up public appearances, at least temporarily, to concentrate on studying.[19]
Having broken the contract, he was prohibited from singing professionally for three years. Discouraged, Blair sought other work including working for a hardware store. He expressed an interest in education and was taken on as a teacher at
Coincident with the ABC's 1951 tour was the variety spectacular Out of the Dark – An Aboriginal Moomba, celebrating Victoria's 100-year jubilee, in which Blair, as well as
Aboriginal activism
Blair continued to act for Aboriginal rights all his life. He joined the
Personal life
Blair married a fellow conservatorium singing student, Dorothy Eden,[23] on 30 July 1949,[24] and had two children, Nerida and Warren. The marriage encountered some hostility at the time, as it involved the marriage of an Aboriginal man to a European woman.[2] He is survived by three grandchildren.
He had twin half-sisters, Joy and June Thompson (born around 1936), with whom he remained in contact.[25]
Blair's favourite sport was Australian rules football.[26]
Honours and recognition
Blair was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day Honours of 1976.[27]
The Australian Electoral Division of Blair in Queensland, created in 1998, is named after him.
In 2012, the
In 2013, Blair was inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll.[32]
He died in Melbourne's Mercy Hospital on 21 May 1976, aged 51. An obituary opined that his most enduring legacy would be his Aboriginal children's holiday project, which saw thousands of children boarding in private homes in Melbourne and Sydney during school holidays.[33]
References
- ^ "True Stories: Harold". Torres News. No. 130. Queensland, Australia. 7 April 1995. p. 1 (TV Entertainment Guide). Retrieved 29 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ a b ADB
- ^ "Aborigine who's fighting his way up". The Daily Telegraph. Vol. XVI, no. 19. New South Wales, Australia. 14 April 1951. p. 13. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- Queensland Times. No. 18, 005. Queensland, Australia. 12 August 1944. p. 5. Retrieved 27 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Govt. to Employ Harold Blair and Pay for Training". The Queensland Times. No. 18, 197. Queensland, Australia. 28 March 1945. p. 1. Retrieved 27 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Aboriginal Tenor". The Central Queensland Herald. Vol. 16, no. 854. Queensland, Australia. 26 July 1945. p. 11. Retrieved 29 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Harold Blair". The Barrier Miner. Vol. LXIV, no. 17, 504. New South Wales, Australia. 9 July 1951. p. 12. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Telegraph (Brisbane). Queensland, Australia. 24 October 1945. p. 5. Retrieved 29 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Message Stick Archived 18 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Australians in New York help Harold Blair". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 18, no. 44. Australia, Australia. 7 April 1951. p. 19. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Music and Films". The Herald (Melbourne). No. 23, 124. Victoria, Australia. 5 July 1951. p. 10. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "No way to aid singer". The Herald (Melbourne). No. 23, 133. Victoria, Australia. 16 July 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Associate Artist With Harold Blair". Saturday Evening Express. Vol. 23, no. 59. Tasmania, Australia. 12 May 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- Queensland Times. No. 20, 358. Queensland, Australia. 13 August 1951. p. 2 (Daily). Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Harold Blair Visits Mother at Currumbin". The South Coast Express. Vol. 2, no. 49. Queensland, Australia. 10 August 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Courier-mail. No. 4593. Queensland, Australia. 17 August 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- Maryborough Chronicle. No. 24, 810. Queensland, Australia. 23 August 1951. p. 5. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- Brisbane Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 27 August 1951. p. 10. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Courier-mail. No. 4911. Queensland, Australia. 25 August 1952. p. 1. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Aboriginal Arts Board, Press Statement No. 83 Archived 18 July 2005 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Aboriginal Stars in Centenary Show". The Age. No. 29, 998. Victoria, Australia. 21 June 1951. p. 4. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Aborigine To Be Labour Candidate". The Canberra Times. Vol. 38, no. 10, 660. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 7 October 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 27 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia. The Canberra Times misspelled "Labor Party" several times in this article.
- The Courier-mail. No. 3830. Queensland, Australia. 5 March 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Singer's Wedding". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 34, 823. New South Wales, Australia. 1 August 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga). New South Wales, Australia. 26 September 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 29 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- The Courier-mail. No. 3926. Queensland, Australia. 27 June 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 5 May 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ It's an Honour - Harold Blair
- ^ Barnard, Loretta (6 August 2018). "Harold Blair: Aboriginal tenor, activist, educator, leader". Australia Explained. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "2012". Melba Opera Trust. 30 November 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ Graham, Jillian (27 August 2012). "Tiriki Onus awarded Harold Blair Opera Scholarship". Precinct. University of Melbourne. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Tiriki Onus Has A Chat About New Film "Ablaze"". 3 Kool n Deadly. 24 May 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- Victorian Government. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ "Aboriginal tenor Harold Blair dies". The Canberra Times. Vol. 50, no. 14, 385. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 22 May 1976. p. 1. Retrieved 29 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
Bibliography
- ISBN 0-909091-08-0(1975) biography by Kenneth Harrison (Novalit Australia Pty Ltd, Cheltenham, Melbourne)
External links
- Transcript of 2004 episode of Message Stick (ABC video documentary)
- Papers of Harold Blair at the National Library of Australia
- 1995 review by Norm Dixon of Harold, a documentary by Steve Thomas
- |%20Number%3A357816%20|%20Number%3A362586;querytype=;resCount=10 Harold Blair at the National Film and Sound Archive[permanent dead link]
- Listen to Harold Blair singing the 'Maranoa Lullaby' on australianscreen online
- 'Maranoa Lullaby' was added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry in 2007