Colleano, Con (high wire act)

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Con Colleano (26 December 1899 - 13 November 1973) was an indigenous Australian tightrope walker. He was born Cornelius Sullivan in Lismore, New South Wales, the son of an Irish man and a woman of indigenous and African heritage. This circus-performing family initially adopted the a Italian or Spanish sounding surname of Collinos, and later Colleano, to detract attention from their Indigenous heritage, and were known as the Flying Colleanos. Con Colleano was the first person to successfully attempt a forward somersault on a tightrope and became one of the most celebrated and highly paid circus performers of his time, being known as The Wizard of the Wire. In 1997 he, (together with May Wirth), was honoured by Australia Post on a postage stamp. Con was the brother of Maurice Colleano, and the uncle of American actor Bonar Colleano. [Information from the Australian Dictionary of Biography, and Wikipedia.] Link to catalogue record.

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