Jack Lumsdaine Explained

John Sinclair Lumsdaine (18 November 1895 – 28 August 1948)^[1] was an Australian singer and songwriter.^[2]

His best known songs celebrate Australian personalities Donald Bradman, Phar Lap and Sydney Harbour Bridge. He was highly sought for advertising campaigns like Cornflakes and Flour.

In the 1930s he was on the announcing staff of Sydney radio station 2GB.

Military service

Jack Lumsdaine enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces in 1915 ^[3] He suffered a gas attack in France and became known as the whispering baritone in his radio and Jazz recording career.

Works

• 1923 Wodonga^[4]
• 1924 Aussie Rose ^[5]
• 1925 Somewhere South of Shanghai
• 1927 You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone ^[6]
• 1927 Canberra is Calling to you
• 1928 Calling to You
• 1941 Am I? ^[7]
• 1942 Digger ^[8]
• 1945 Sydney Flour Song
• England in the Morning
• Cobber o Mine
• We're Hanging Out Our Washing on The Siegfried Line
• 1946 Curl The Mo, Uncle Joe
• Johnie our Aeroplane Girl
• Verm-X song
• Cornflakes song
• Tintex song
• Banish The Budget Blues ^[9]

Memorabilia

• photograph of him on some sheet music^[10]
• Photograph^[11]

Recordings

• 1932 I'm Waiting for Ships That Never Come In ^[12]
• 1938 Queanbeyan ^[13]
• 1928 Honeymoon Cottage ^[14]
• 1943 Scallywag ^[15]
• 1938 Canberra is Calling to You ^[16]

Sheet music from forty songs are preserved at Australian libraries. Many performed with the 2FC radio orchestra or George Trevare. Thirty-six of his recordings like You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone are preserved at the National Film and Sound Archive.

Notes and References

1. Book: Warren Arthur Bebbington. The Oxford companion to Australian music. 1997. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-553432-0. 351.
2. Book: http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lumsdaine-john-sinclair-jack-7262. Biography - John Sinclair (Jack) Lumsdaine - Australian Dictionary of Biography. Lumsdaine, John Sinclair (Jack) (1895–1948). adb.anu.edu.au. 2014-02-28.
3. Web site: John Sinclair Lumsdaine Australian War Memorial.
4. Web site: Trove.
5. Web site: Trove.
6. http://www.nfsa.gov.au/olcmedia/audio/00016993.mp3
7. Web site: Trove.
8. Web site: Stream Jack Lumsdaine - Digger (1942) by NFSA Listen online for free on SoundCloud.
9. http://www.naa.gov.au/Images/MAYFOTM_349221_005_700wide_tcm16-43036.jpg
10. http://nla.gov.au/nla.mus-an4982070 nla.gov.au
11. http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3547422 National Library of Australia
12. Web site: Stream Jack Lumsdaine - I'm Waiting for Ships That Never Come In (1932) by NFSA Listen online for free on SoundCloud.
13. Web site: Stream Jack Lumsdaine - Queanbeyan (1938) by NFSA Listen online for free on SoundCloud.
14. Web site: Stream Jack Lumsdaine - Honeymoon Cottage (1928) by NFSA Listen online for free on SoundCloud.
15. Web site: Stream Jack Lumsdaine - Scallywag (1943) by NFSA Listen online for free on SoundCloud.
16. Web site: Stream Canberra is Calling to You - Jack Lumsdaine (1938) by NFSA Listen online for free on SoundCloud.