Charles Robert Thatcher Explained

Charles Robert Thatcher
Birth Date:1830
Birth Place:Bristol, England
Death Date:1878
Occupation:Singer, entertainer and songwriter
Language:English
Nationality:Australian
Years Active:1857-1878

Charles Robert Thatcher (1830 - 1878) was a notable New Zealand singer, entertainer and songwriter.

He was born in Bristol, England in 1830. He was married to singer Annie Vitelli.[1]

Life

In his early twenties Thatcher emigrated to Australia. Arriving in Melbourne on the Isabella in November 1852, he first tried his hand at goldmining but soon joined the orchestra at the Royal Victoria Theatre, Bendigo. He began filling in between the plays by singing topical verses to well-known tunes in his pleasant tenor voice. After this engagement Thatcher's reputation as a goldfields balladeer proceeded apace and by May 1854 he was given top billing at the Shamrock Hotel at Bendigo, which remained his base for several years. He travelled around all the principal goldfields of Victoria and also undertook three tours of New Zealand.[2] [3]

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. Vitelli, Annie. live. 2021-06-02. teara.govt.nz. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20130628172153/http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/1v3/vitelli-annie . 28 June 2013 .
  2. Web site: Charles Thatcher. Austlit. 12 June 2023.
  3. The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature edited by Wilde, Hooton and Andrews, 2nd edition, p674
  4. Noting library description - that this is bound into the copy of
  5. Facsimile of this and previous item