On Thursday, October 8, 1925, the Glen Innes Examiner informed the residents of Deepwater, Emmaville, Dundee plus surrounding districts that Sole Brothers Circus would arrive next Wednesday in Deepwater by special train.
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It contained a brass band, a zoo as well as performers and staff.
The travelling shows were of great social interest and entertainment to the early settlers of the region.
Some of the acts from the then-travelling shows would have been ropewalkers, jugglers, acrobats, clowns and performing animals.
It seems that Australian circus started as early as 1847 when means of transport from town to town was by horse-drawn vehicle.
I was told that the circus used to pull up at Dundee periodically, and then perform.
Two ads in the Examiner proved it.
On September 18, 1878, St Leon’s circus announced they would perform at Dundee.
On a separate news items in 1883, St Leon’s claimed to have 150 horses and men in their travelling troupes.
Australia’s love affair with horses guaranteed good patronage at a show wherever they went.
Burton’s circus followed with an advertisement stating the Big Top would be in Dundee on April 8, 1879.
In the horse-drawn vehicle days, Dundee was traffic hub where roads from north, south-east and west met.
I was somewhat surprised when a friend informed me that when one of his forebears went to a circus at Dundee, while seated there to witness the big event, a monkey roaming free started scratching and biting him. This put him off monkeys permanently.
It seems that teamsters and even the circus would spell their animals on a waterhole between the Nine Mile and Morven roads, Dundee. Up to 15 wagons at peak times.
Another informed me that his grandfather loved to chat to passing teamsters and circus while spelling.
The grazier, when talking to the circus staff, informed him their boss was tough – swearing meant instant dismissal. As the men were loading a young elephant, the animals rushed and jammed his trainer.
The trainer was not hurt, but was still able to swear profusely, prompting the question of why the handler had not been sacked.
“Oh,” replied one of the staff, “that wasn’t swearing, just a few well-chosen words from a foreign language.”
On another memorable occasion, young Dundee parents and their children decided to walk to Dundee to witness the circus – a distance of approximately five kilometres.
They were a day early.