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354:, a critic of his time, spoke of his success in presenting "the ponderous stolidity and impenetrable stupidity of certain types of humanity—the voice, the gait, the movements, the expression of the actor's features, were all in perfect harmony with the mental and moral idiosyncrasies of the person he represented, so that the man himself stood before you a living reality".
451:
in May 1874 and did useful work; for example, he established post office savings banks. Coppin was opposed to the payment of members of
Parliament, and when the act passed to pay them, he gave his salary to charities. Coppin retired from theatrical management on 28 June 1882, but remained a member of
139:
Jackson. His grandfather had been a well-known clergyman at
Norwich. George Selth Coppin Senior studied for the medical profession, but abandoned this to join a group of travelling actors. George Coppin Junior (he rarely used his middle name, Selth) became an assistant in his father's company; George
477:
Bray (Gustavus Brooke's sister-in-law, died 2 September 1859), and then on 4 June 1861 to her daughter Lucy
Hilsden, who survived him with their two sons and five daughters. Two of the three daughters of his first marriage also survived Coppin. His daughter Blanche Brooke Coppin married George Rossi
468:
where he had a seaside home, and kept up his connection with the Old
Colonists' Association (which he had founded), the Victorian Humane Society, Gordon House, the St John's Ambulance Service, the Australasian Dramatic and Musical Association, and other institutions. When managing the Cremorne
407:
George Coppin was also a very senior leader within
Freemasonry and a pioneer on many levels. He was an active Freemason from his stay in Adelaide until his death. He played a key role in the formation of the Grand Lodge of Victoria in 1883, of which he became the first Grand Master. The Coppin
316:
The partnership of Brooks and Coppin was dissolved in 1859 and Coppin, having become security for a large sum in connection with the
Melbourne and Suburban railway, was in financial difficulties again. The line was sold and he became freed from his liability. In 1862 he built the
384:
In 1869 Coppin spearheaded The Old
Colonists’ Association of Victoria, which received a government grant of land in North Fitzroy for the establishment of safe, dignified, affordable housing for needy early settlers at a time when there was no social welfare system of any kind.
148:, London, and in subsequent years played as first low comedian in the provinces and at Abbey Street theatre, Dublin, where he had a long acting engagement. There Coppin met Maria Watkins Burroughs, nine years older than Coppin. They lived together from 1842 to 1848.
396:'s inner east, and soon subdivided the large landholdings, establishing two streets through the area, namely Coppin Grove and Shakespeare Grove. (The joke has been made that Coppin named the two streets after his two favourite
143:
At the age of 18 Coppin had an engagement at the
Woolwich theatre, and soon afterwards was playing at Richmond, where he became low comedian at a salary of twenty-five shillings a week. He next obtained an engagement at the
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861:
432:, that the profession of actor was as respectable as any other. In 1859 he brought in a transfer of property bill which was passed in the Council and rejected in the Assembly. Three years later it became law,
167:
Coppin decided to leave
England in search of other opportunities; a coin toss meant he sailed for Australia, not America, towards the end of 1842, arriving in Sydney on 10 March 1843. Coppin negotiated with
357:
In 1864 Coppin again lost his money and went to the United States. At a farewell dinner he was presented with a cheque for £300 and was given a public reception when he returned in 1866. He joined
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Gardens he had brought out the first balloon to ascend in
Melbourne, and was responsible for the acclimatization of English thrushes and white swans. He was also the first to suggest the value of
332:
Coppin initially made his reputation as an actor but, after he had been a few years in Australia, management took up increasing amounts of his time. He was a comedian, who starred in parts like
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261:, then returned to Adelaide in 1853 to pay his creditors "20 shillings in the pound" (i.e. in full). Still in 1853, Coppin visited England where he acted in the provinces. There he met
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in the management of the Theatre Royal chain, and, although they lost heavily at times, Coppin's record from this point is one of increasing prosperity. He was lessee of the
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400:.) Despite the land subdivision, "Invergowrie" survives at 21 Coppin Grove, and is regarded as one Hawthorn's most important historical buildings. Coppin Street,
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for the Australian interior. He died early in the morning of 14 March 1906, aged 86. He was married twice, firstly in August 1855 to Harriet Hilsden
211:, Coppin playing the part of Stolbach (the comedian). Coppin subsequently played a variety of parts including Sir Peter Teazle, Jacques Strop in
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for a term of five years. In 1859 he was forced by public pressure to defend the propriety of a legislator appearing on stage, arguing at the
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265:, engaged a company, and returned to Australia bringing with them an iron theatre in sections which was erected in Melbourne as the
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He left Adelaide for Victoria in December 1851, tried his fortunes briefly as a gold-digger without success, began playing at
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taking charge of it in the assembly, and Coppin in the council. This measure (often referred to as the "Torrens Act" for
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which, renamed "Royal Victoria Theatre", opened on 23 December 1850 and enjoyed great popularity, which lasted until the
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318:
250:. Coppin suffered losses in his copper-mining investments and with the exodus of his hotel and playhouse patrons to the
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the Legislative Assembly until losing his seat in March 1889. Soon after, in August 1889, he was elected as member for
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as exhibits for the Cremorne Gardens menagerie and in 1860 he sold them for £300 to the Exploration Committee of the
269:. Brooke was to establish a great reputation in Australia. In July 1855 Coppin was playing Colonel Damas with him in
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Coppin Grove became notorious in 2020 as the scene of a stabbing spree in which two women were fatally attacked.
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440:, who promoted it) has proved to be a very valuable one. Coppin resigned from the Council in February 1863.
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951:
185:
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489:, on 26 March 1939. He is there described as "Philanthropist and Father of the Theatre in Victoria".
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Hotel (and thereby gave that suburb its name) and the "White Horse Cellars", an hotel and theatre in
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Masonic Lodge in East Brunswick bears his name as does Coppin Hall at the Royal Freemasons Homes.
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In April 1858 Coppin began to take an interest in public affairs — he became a councillor in the
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and many others in forgotten plays. In 1848 Coppin transferred the management of the theatre to
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585:. Tas. 29 November 1881. p. 1 Supplement: Supplement to the Launceston Examiner
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176:. Coppin bought a hotel but, being quite inexperienced, lost his money and went to
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566:, Volume 3, Melbourne University Press, 1969, pp 459–462. Retrieved 13 April 2010
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782:. Vol. XV, no. 3935. Victoria, Australia. 8 January 1868. p. 2
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in the Victorian Legislative Council, holding this seat until August 1895.
927:. Vol. IV, no. 69. Victoria, Australia. 22 March 1859. p. 2
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830:"Killer named after fatal stabbing spree in Melbourne's eastern suburbs"
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Ashton (born 1857), a well-known black-and-white artist and brother of
273:, and about this time they became partners. They purchased Melbourne's
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with a 700-seat capacity, and on 2 November 1846 began his season with
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177:
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297:, Australia, and spent £60,000 on them. In 1859 Coppin imported six
955:. No. 11, 654. Victoria, Australia. 27 October 1883. p. 1
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397:
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381:, who quit the business when that theatre was destroyed by fire.
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111:(8 April 1819 – 14 March 1906) was a comic actor, a theatrical
184:
in January 1845. At Launceston he formed a company, recruited
999:; Banerji, Nilanjana. "Coppin, George Selth (1819–1906)".
115:, a politician and a philanthropist, active in Australia.
494:
Coppin the Great : father of the Australian theatre
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A bronze plaque to Coppin's memory was unveiled at the
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In 1869 Coppin purchased the property "Invergowrie" in
340:, and Lancelot Gobbo. He also played Aminadab Sleek in
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municipality, and in October 1858 was elected for the
889:
Re-Member: a database of all Victorian MPs since 1851
500:
was published by Melbourne University Press in 1965.
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and opened at the Queen's Theatre, recently built by
131:, England, son of George Selth Coppin (1794–1854), a
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68:
42:
23:
140:and his sister performed their own act by 1826.
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464:Coppin took an interest in the development of
1079:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
816:"Coppin Grove · Hawthorn VIC 3122, Australia"
8:
1084:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
1005:(online ed.). Oxford University Press.
1035:at Live Performance Australia Hall of Fame
935:– via National Library of Australia.
862:"Coppin St · Richmond VIC 3121, Australia"
674:. London: Hutchinson & Co – via
31:
20:
1114:Australian theatre managers and producers
238:opened in 1868. Around 1850 Coppin built
754:. Adelaide. 18 December 1933. p. 22
672:The Dictionary of Australasian Biography
1074:English emigrants to colonial Australia
1002:Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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877:
875:
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698:. Adelaide. 24 December 1850. p. 3
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1124:19th-century Australian businesspeople
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726:. Adelaide. 4 January 1928. p. 5
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230:Coppin and Lazar refurbished the old
203:, converted a billiard room into the
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404:was also named after George Coppin.
1089:19th-century Australian politicians
482:, in Melbourne on 23 October 1883.
172:and had a successful season at the
633:Dictionary of Australian Biography
563:Australian Dictionary of Biography
14:
667:"Coppin, Hon. George Selth"
1059:19th-century English male actors
994:. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
990:Dictionary of National Biography
848:hawthornhistoricalsociety.com.au
558:Coppin, George Selth (1819–1906)
199:In August 1846, Coppin went to
445:Victorian Legislative Assembly
188:, and in June 1845 took it to
1:
426:Victorian Legislative Council
377:briefly 1867–68, followed by
135:surgeon, and Elizabeth Jane,
1109:Settlers of Victoria (state)
1019:UK public library membership
984:"Coppin, George Selth"
746:"Old Buildings at the Port"
1145:
492:A well-received biography
443:Coppin was elected to the
311:Burke and Wills expedition
1094:Australian theatre owners
1064:English male stage actors
695:South Australian Register
487:Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
325:, and in 1863 Mr and Mrs
307:Royal Society of Victoria
209:The King and the Comedian
30:
1099:History of Port Adelaide
1033:George Coppin 1819–1906
430:Theatre Royal, Ballarat
329:played a season there.
263:Gustavus Vaughan Brooke
254:, he became insolvent.
37:George Coppin, ca. 1890
1011:10.1093/ref:odnb/32562
893:Parliament of Victoria
628:"Coppin, George Selth"
422:South Western Province
174:Royal Victoria Theatre
164:
105:
1129:Australian Freemasons
1104:Settlers of Melbourne
952:The Argus (Melbourne)
885:"George Selth Coppin"
774:"Latest Intelligence"
638:Angus & Robertson
321:on the south side of
309:who used them on the
186:George Herbert Rogers
159:
104:
16:Australian politician
1119:Australian hoteliers
1069:People from Steyning
504:Notes and references
285:on the banks of the
215:, Jemmy Twitcher in
924:The Star (Ballarat)
582:Launceston Examiner
221:Don Caesar de Bazan
205:New Queen's Theatre
123:Coppin was born at
109:George Selth Coppin
25:George Selth Coppin
963:– via Trove.
790:– via Trove.
779:Bendigo Advertiser
762:– via Trove.
734:– via Trove.
706:– via Trove.
593:– via Trove.
577:"Mr George Coppin"
466:Sorrento, Victoria
454:Melbourne Province
350:and Tony Lumpkin.
343:The Serious Family
252:Victorian diggings
165:
106:
80:Richmond, Victoria
1017:(Subscription or
319:Haymarket Theatre
271:The Lady of Lyons
246:, later owned by
217:The Golden Farmer
194:John Thomas Smith
160:George Coppin as
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992:(2nd supplement)
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947:"Family Notices"
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899:on 23 April 2023
895:. Archived from
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897:the original
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74:(1906-03-14)
53:8 April 1819
18:
1054:1906 deaths
1049:1819 births
979:Lee, Sidney
352:James Smith
287:Yarra River
162:Milky White
82:, Australia
1043:Categories
1021:required.)
959:4 December
786:31 October
676:Wikisource
636:. Sydney:
589:4 December
498:Alec Bagot
460:Later life
225:John Lazar
119:Early life
49:1819-04-08
903:27 August
398:thespians
394:Melbourne
338:Bob Acres
295:Melbourne
240:Semaphore
190:Melbourne
152:Australia
63:, England
702:9 August
664:(1892).
643:13 April
626:(1949).
418:Richmond
402:Richmond
390:Hawthorn
367:Hennings
334:Paul Pry
291:Richmond
277:and the
201:Adelaide
182:Tasmania
125:Steyning
57:Steyning
972:Sources
424:in the
371:Bellair
363:Stewart
359:Harwood
259:Geelong
133:Norwich
1015:
931:31 May
844:"Home"
471:camels
299:camels
178:Hobart
129:Sussex
61:Sussex
802:"VHD"
758:2 May
730:3 May
301:from
961:2017
933:2023
905:2022
788:2021
760:2015
732:2015
704:2012
645:2010
591:2012
447:for
369:and
303:Aden
69:Died
43:Born
1007:doi
560:',
475:née
392:in
293:in
289:at
137:née
1045::
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949:.
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51:)
47:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
