Austral, Florence Mary (1892 - 1968)

Born Mary Wilson at Richmond, Victoria, she was also known by her stepfather's name, Fawaz, before adopting the name of her country as a stage name prior to her debut in 1922 at Covent Garden. Known as one of the world's greatest Wagnerian sopranos Florence Austral married the Australian virtuoso flautist John Amadio in 1925 and toured widely with him in America and Australia. After the Second World War she returned to Australia almost completely paralysed with multiple sclerosis. She nevertheless taught until her retirement in 1959. Austral died at a nursing home in Newcastle on 16 May 1968.

• Amadio, Florence (married name, 15 December 1925 - )
• Fawaz, Florence (former name, 1903 - 1921)
• Wilson, Mary (maiden name, 16 April 1892 - 1895)

Chronology

1913	Won first prize in the mezzo-soprano section and second prize in two others at the South Street competitions, Ballarat, Victoria
1917	Won an entrance exhibition to the University Conservatorium
22 September 1919	After a farewell concert she left to study Italian opera in New York
1921	Appeared at Albert Hall during a Sunday concert
1921	Adopted the professional name of Florence Austral
16 May 1922	Debuted as Brunnhilde in Die Walkure at Covent Garden under the auspices of the British National Opera Company
20 January 1923	Appeared with Dame Nellie Melba
1925	Toured North America
15 December 1925	Married John Amadio at Hapstead, London
1930	Joined Berlin State Opera as principal
24 May 1930	Gave a concert in Sydney, Australia
21 June 1930	Gave a concert in Melbourne, Australia
1931	Toured Holland
1931 - 1932	Toured North America
1932 - 1933	Toured North America
1933 - 1934	Toured Holland
April 1934 - April 1935	Austral and Amadio returned to Australia for a season of concerts in capital cities and large country towns
1936	Austral returned to London
1939 - 1945	Appeared for benefit concerts during the Second World War
1946	Austral returned to Australia
1954 - 1959	Teaching with the Newcastle branch of the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music

Related Corporate Bodies

• The Austral Salon of Music, Literature and the Arts (1890 - )

Books

• Elphinstone, Michael and Wayne Hancock, When Austral Sang: the Biography of Florence Austral, Hyde Park Press, Richmond, South Australia, 2005, 655 pp. [ Details... ]
• Moffat, James, Florence Austral : one of the wonder voices of the world, Currency Press in association with National Library of Australia, Sydney, 1995, 278 pp. [ Details... ]

Book Sections

• Radic, Maureen Therese, 'Austral, Florence Mary', in Nairn, Bede and Serle, Geoffrey (eds), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 7, Melbourne University Press, Carlton, Vic., pp. 124-125. [ Details... ]

Online Resources

• 'Austral, Florence : Australian soprano, 1894 - 1968', in Great singers, August 1999, http://www.cantabile-subito.de/Sopranos/Austral__Florence /austral__florence.html. [ Details... ]

See also

• Florence Austral : one of the wonder voices of the world., Warren Fahey presents yesterday's Australia, Larrikin, Australia, 1996. [ Details... ]
• Alexander, Joseph A (ed.), Who's who in Australia 1962, 17 edn, Colorgravure Publications, Melbourne, 1962, 960 pp. [ Details... ]