Julia Matthews or Julia Mathews (14 December 1842 – 19 May 1876)[1] was an English-born actress and singer who was popular on the stage, particularly in Melbourne.
Matthews was born in London in 1842.[2] Her parents were Sarah (born Irviner) and James Mathews. Her father was a sailor who also made artificial flowers. The family moved to Sydney where she made her debut on the stage of the Royal Victoria Theatre.
She received and refused a marriage proposal from Robert O'Hara Burke in 1860, shortly before the Burke and Wills expedition. Burke had made her his sole heir.[3] She was one of the first to call for a search party. Matthews died aged just 33, in St. Louis, Missouri.[4]
She was played by Greta Scacchi in Burke & Wills (1985) and by Nicole Kidman in Wills & Burke (1985).
It has been claimed that the film actress Jessie Matthews (1907–1981) was a descendant.[5]