Circus and illusion research guide

Poster depicts a woman in blue walking alongside a horse; a clown in a yellow suit stands next to her

Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Combined Shows, May Wirth the greatest bareback rider of all time, 1919, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136390630

Large poster depicting a circus scene; advertising Bullens Circus tour

Bullen's Australia's largest circus the big top comes to town : follow the crowds, 1935, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138066608

Colourful collage poster advertising the 1970 Adelaide Festival; depicts a person made up of newspaper clippings

Kenneth Rowell, Adelaide Festival of Arts 6 - 28 March 1970, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-133748736

Circus

For more than a century, the circus has been a feature of the Australian entertainment industry, particularly in rural and regional Australia. The Library's collections document how this sector has changed from its early beginnings of travelling sideshows, through to the rise of the contemporary circus.

Early touring circuses featured 'Wild West' feats of horsemanship, music hall traditions of clowning, and displays of wild and exotic animals. From the 1960s, the focus shifted to performances of human physicality and storytelling, with modern circuses engaged with formal in circus arts training, and partnering internationally to progress the art form.

Key circus collections

Collection highlights for circus

Ashton's Circus was established by James Henry Ashton (ca. 1819-1889) in Launceston, Tasmania, in February 1851. The show toured to all Australian colonies and New Zealand, and today remains the longest surviving circus in Australia.

The Library's holdings include:

An Indigenous Australian circus family performed as "Colleano's All Star Circus" in Australia and internationally in the early twentieth century.

The Library holds the papers of the Colleano family. Related material includes:

an interview
programs
posters
a portrait of family member Con Colleano, a tightrope walker who became one of the most celebrated circus performers of his time.

eBook feature

For historical avant-garde artists, circus was a treasure trove and a creative goldmine for ideas. Circus and the Avant-Gardes is by Mirjam Hildbrand and former Library Fellow Anna-Sophie Jürgens.

Cover of the book 'Circus and the Avant-Gardes'

Vivian James Carter Collection

With a passion for circuses and carnivals, Vivian James Carter amassed a collection that documents the circus industry across the twentieth century.

Bullen's Australia's largest circus the big top comes to town : follow the crowds, 1935, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138066608

Magic and mime

Find collection materials which document the performance of local and touring magicians and illusionists in Australia.

Collection highlights

Born John Gerard Rodney Boyce in Toowoomba in 1872, he became the most prolific modern writer on the art of magic, and so highly esteemed within his craft that he was presented with the Magic Circle Silver Wand.

The Library holds his papers in the manuscripts collection and our PROMPT collection holds material recording other magicians paying tribute to him, and reflecting his international significance.

Norman Murray Carrington Walters better known as 'Murray the Escapologist', toured the world with an illusion show and used escapes as a means of publicity. Murray retired to Blackpool, England where he opened a magic shop.

Our collections include his papers, as well as:

Entr'acte Theatre was a contemporary mime theatrical group founded in 1979, formerly known as the Sydney Corporeal-Mime Theatre. Entr'acte performed in most parts of Australia as well as overseas, offering classes and workshops both in Sydney and on tour.

Our holdings include:

the Records of Entr'acte Theatre, 1980-1993
a collection of photographs
theatre programs.

Puppetry

Puppetry has been performed in Australia since the mid-19th century. Early performances were made by visiting artists from overseas. Local companies began to appear in the mid-1950s.

Collection highlights

Peter Scriven, 1930-1988

Australian puppeteer and founding artistic director of the Marionette Theatre of Australia.

The Library holds a recording of Peter Scriven interviewed by Hazel de Berg in which he speaks about becoming a puppeteer and forming his puppet company.

Handspan Theatre

The Library holds a collection of programs for the Handspan Theatre, a Melbourne-based puppetry and visual theatre company that operated between 1977 and 2002.

Marionette Theatre of Australia

Formed under the auspices of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust by Peter Scriven in 1965, the Marionette Theatre of Australia produced large-scale puppet shows with typically Australian characters and stories such as the highly successful Tintookies, for more than 20 years. Material in the collections include:

Skylark Puppet Theatre

The Skylark Theatre Company was established in 1984 by Marie-Martine Ferrari and Shelley McDonald in Canberra. It gained national and international recognition for its innovative presentation of puppetry and visual-based theatre.

The Library holds:

the records of the company
a collection of programs.

Featured websites

Not sure where to start?

Ask a librarian

What can we help you find?