Nellie Bramley

Nellie Bramley
Nellie Bramley aged 19, c1909
Born	Ellen Odelle Bramley (1890-02-04)4 February 1890 Richmond, Victoria, Melbourne
Died	9 June 1982(1982-06-09) (aged 92)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1905–1943
Spouse	William Russell ​ (m. 1914)​

Ellen "Nellie" Odelle Bramley (4 February 1890 – 9 June 1982^[1]) was an Australian stage actress who gained prominence during the early 20th century as a leading actress on stage and opened the Palace Theatre, Melbourne around 1914. Bramley was the first female Australian to establish her own theatre company in 1922, named after herself and which toured all of Australia, as well as New Zealand and Tasmania. Her earlier years touring New Zealand and Tasmania were successful, with sell-out performances in Launceston, Tasmania where at the time, she was the youngest star to have ever visited the city.

Around 1930, she considered cancelling some performances due to the effects of the great depression, citing low audience numbers. Following financial difficulties and low ticket sales, Bramley filed for bankruptcy in May 1934, with unpaid debts around £3,250 mostly incurred from previous show losses. She attributed the situation to meagre takings during some theatrical tours and announced her intention to semi-retire from full-time stage performing, although continued acting to a lesser extent until her last performance around 1943.

Bramley was married to William Russell who acted as her company's manager, but they separated in the late 1920s. She revisited the Palace Theatre in 1974 during its reopening after being saved from demolition. She died in 1982 and was survived by her sister.