Guide to the Papers of Sir George Tallis, 1889-1948

Summary

Collection number:

MS 9522

Creator:

Sir George Tallis

Extent:

2.4 metres and (12 boxes + 1 folio)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Sir George Tallis, National Library of Australia, MS 9522, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection was transferred to the Library after the death of John (‘Jack’) Tallis, youngest son of Sir George Tallis who lived in the Tallis home ‘Beleura’, Mornington, Victoria. John Tallis died in December 1996 and the papers came to the Library in 1999. Michael Tallis, a grandson of Sir George Tallis, and co-author with Joan Tallis of a biography of him, was also involved in negotiating the transfer of the collection to the Library.

The largest category in the collection covers Tallis’ involvement in the management of J.C. Williamson Ltd. Although the total span of the papers is from 1889 to 1948, the strongest concentration is in the years 1910-17. These are crucial years which encompass the death of Williamson (1913) and the assumption by Tallis of key managerial positions in the ‘Firm’ as it was known. The collection includes documentation regarding complex share negotiations and bargaining for positions on the management board. There is also a small but important group of Tallis family letters, and a significant group of photographs of Sir George Tallis , his family, close friends and colleagues, both at home and on overseas trips.

In 2003 Michael and Joan Tallis presented some compilations of theirs on Tallis, radio broadcasting and J.C. Williamson. These items were added to Series 8.

Biographical Note:

George Tallis was born on October 28, 1869 in the small town of Callan, County Kilkenny, Ireland. He was the youngest in a family of ten born to John and Sarah Tallis. The family ran an off-licence store which kept food on the table and provided an early training in business for the maturing children.

John Tallis died when George was seven. Fortunately his mother, Sarah, had always been the driving force behind the Tallis family, and she maintained that control until 1883 when the children dispersed. In order to try their luck two of the boys sailed to Australia. George on the other hand joined the Kilkenny Moderator as a cadet reporter, thereby learning not only shorthand and typing but also how to write. These skills would serve him well in later years.

By 1886 the two brothers who had migrated to Australia had fared very badly. One had died, and the other was ill. Later that year a family decision had George and one of his sisters on their way to Australia on a mercy mission. In November 1886 the pair arrived in Melbourne and George, at the age of 17, immediately applied for a job with the already large theatrical partnership of Williamson, Garner and Musgrove, known as the Firm. J.C. Williamson, an American actor/manager, was impressed by the young man’s keenness and clerical skills, and hired him.

There followed immensely busy years. George started at the bottom as a general factotum, but within a few years he had risen to business manager in charge of theatre companies touring Australia and New Zealand. In 1904 he was promoted to a financial partnership with J.C. Williamson, then appointed managing director in 1910 when the partnership became J.C. Williamson Ltd. Ultimately Tallis became Chairman of Directors upon Williamson’s death in 1913, a position he held until 1931.

The period of Tallis’ chairmanship was one of immense growth and change. The 1914-18 War coincided with early attempts to expand the Firm into South Africa and London. At home the war placed strains on live theatre as the flow of overseas plays and touring companies dried up. On the other hand, the 1920s was an era of hope, great expansion and popularity of the Australian stage. Nevertheless, the Firm was challenged by an expanding Tivoli circuit, films, and finally radio. J.C. Williamson Ltd countered by investing in the Tivoli business, becoming the largest screener of films throughout Australasia, and investing in and controlling radio stations 3LO and 3AR, thereby becoming the most influential element in the developing commercial radio industry. The most profitable part of this industry, which included 3LO and 3AR, was subsequently nationalised by the Australian government to become the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) in 1932.

In 1928 Tallis made a second major tilt at the London live theatre scene with some considerable success. However, the looming Great Depression of 1929 made thoughts of more expansion untenable. George retired due to ill health in November 1931, having completed 45 years of continuous service with the Firm in all of its guises. However, he remained associated with it in one way or another until 1942.

George Tallis married actress Amelia (‘Millie’) Young in 1898, and the couple had four children: G.C. (‘Mick’) 1901, J.A. (‘Pat’) 1904, S.M. (‘Biddy’) 1907, and John (‘Jack’) 1911.

George was knighted in 1922 ‘as head of the theatrical profession in Australia’. He died in August 1948 at Wagga Wagga, NSW.

Reference: Supplied by Michael and Joan Tallis, January 2004.

Indexed terms

Names:

Sir George Tallis

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn770909).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Sir George Tallis, National Library of Australia, MS 9522, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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