Alfred Dampier

Alfred Dampier
Born28 February 1843 (1843-02-28)
Horsham, Sussex, England
DiedMay 24, 1908(1908-05-24) (aged 64–65)
Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation(s)Dramatist, actor, manager, director, producer.
Years active1873–1908

Alfred Dampier (28 February 1843?[1] 1847?[2] – 23 May 1908) was an English-born actor-manager and playwright, active in Australia.[1]

Dampier was born in Horsham, Sussex, England, the son of John Dampier, a builder, and his wife Mary, née Daly.[1] Dampier had a stage career in Manchester before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 1873,[1] under contract to the Harwood syndicate, consisting of H. R. Harwood, George Coppin, Richard Stewart (father of Nellie Stewart), and John Hennings, managers of Melbourne's Theatre Royal.[3]

His first role was as Mephistopheles in his own adaptation of Goethe's Faust, followed by leading roles in Shakespearean dramas. After three years he undertook his own management and toured major towns in Australia and New Zealand, followed by America and England.[3] He appeared in the Australian play All for Gold.

On his return to Australia, Dampier formed his own company, often producing plays with an Australian theme. He staged five plays by F. R. C. Hopkins between 1876 and 1882, and adapted For the Term of His Natural Life (1886), Robbery Under Arms (1890),[4] and The Miner's Right (1891).[1] A good number of actors stayed with Dampier through his changing fortunes — Carrie Bilton, Alfred Harford, Regel Rede, Alfred Rolfe, George Buller, Edmund Holloway, Julia Merton, Helen Nugent, J. B. Atholwood, Walter Baker, Watkin Wynne, Alfred Boothman, Ada Rochfort, May Holt (sister of Bland Holt), Harry Stoneham and Barry Marschall.[5]

The two roles with which Dampier was most associated were Jean Valjean in Valjean, an adaptation of Les Misérables, and Captain Starlight in Robbery Under Arms.[6] He wrote (as "Adam Pierre")[7] the jingoistic Briton and Boer, which was a "hit" at the Alexandra in 1900.

The Popular Australian Dramatic Company (1889–90) and Australian Dramatic Company (1890–1897), not to be confused with George Darrell's "Australian Dramatic Company" (1878–1888), were affiliated with the Holloway company.

Dampier died at his residence in Paddington, Sydney on 23 May 1908.[8][3]

  1. ^ a b c d e John Rickard, 'Dampier, Alfred (1843–1908)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol. 4, Melbourne University Press, 1972, p. 13. Retrieved 28 August 2014
  2. ^ "Alfred Dampier 1847 – 1908". Live Performance Australia. Retrieved 21 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Mr Alfred Dampier Dead". The Advertiser (Adelaide). South Australia. 25 May 1908. p. 7. Retrieved 12 March 2020 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "The Alfred Dampier Season". Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld. : 1878 - 1954). 6 October 1899. p. 5. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  5. ^ "Actors I Have Known". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. LIX, no. 239. Queensland, Australia. 5 October 1937. p. 3. Retrieved 14 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Richard Fotheringham, "Introduction", Robbery Under Arms by Alfred Dampier and Garnet Walch, Currency Press 1985 p14
  7. ^ "On and Off the Stage". Table Talk. No. 765. Victoria, Australia. 1 March 1900. p. 18. Retrieved 11 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Obituary - Alfred Dampier - Obituaries Australia". oa.anu.edu.au. Retrieved 21 October 2020.