Lulu Benstead (Standing) with her music teacher Mrs Jack Wilson.
Lulu Benstead was born in Alice Springs, the daughter of goldfields pioneer Bill (William) Benstead (Williams story about his fascinating life will be told in another edition) and Triphenia Benstead. She studied with Mrs Jack Wilson in Coolgardie and performed regularly in the goldfields. Indeed, the Western Mail newspaper described Coolgardie as the ‘…musical centre of the goldfields’. She also toured Australia, performing in Sydney and in country areas with the Lulu Benstead Company.
The Coolgardie Lulu Benstead Continental Musical Education Fund Committee was set up in 1907 to raise money for Lulu’s further musical education. In 1911 Lulu travelled to Paris and Berlin with the assistance of money raised from benefit concerts in Western Australia and donations from her Western Australian supporters. A report of one benefit concert in 1909 described her performance thus: ‘…a brilliant display of her beautiful soprano voice, and added another laurel to her luxuriant wreath of success’.
A successful entertainer, Lulu performed in the USA, Canada and England singing vaudeville, comedy, comic opera, burlesque and review. She retired from the stage in 1934, married Englishman Mr Stelling and lived in England.
Lulu Benstead June 1910
The following article from ‘Alice Online’ is very interesting. It is about the young singer Siobahn Stagg who found, through her mother my friend and fellow historian Helen Stagg, that she was related to Lulu (Lucille) Benstead. It was only after her succesful singing career she found out her connection to Lulu. Im sure that Lulu’s skills have been passed down the generations to Siobahn!! What do you think.
Thanks to Alice Springs historian Josie Petrick for forwarding this story exploring the fascinating link between singers Siobhan Stagg, soon to visit Alice Springs, and one of Alice Springs’ first talent exports, Lulu Benstead.
Lulu is believed to be the first white child to be born in in Alice Springs, on 5 February 1891. The town was then called Stuart town and Lucille’s middle name was Stuart in recognition of this.
With a voice of ʻangelic purity and beauty’ (The Age, 2010), Siobhan Stagg is one of Australia’s brightest vocal talents.
This month, history comes full circle when the young soprano performs at the Araluen Arts Centre with tenor Boyd Owen on September 23. Siobahn’s cousin (one hundred and two years her senior) was acclaimed soprano Lucille (Lulu) Benstead, who was born in Alice Springs and went on to have an international performance career. Lulu’s parents were William and Tryphena Benstead, who were pioneers of Central Australia. The couple ran Alice Springs’ first hotel, the Stuart Arms, and their legacy is remembered through their namesakes: Tryphena Gorge and Benstead Street.
The link between the two sopranos was only discovered recently by Siobhan’s mother, geologist Helen Stagg, of Mildura:
“William Raines, a pioneer is early South Australia, is our common ancestor. Research on Lucille’s early career has uncovered many similarities between the two young singers,” On a recent choir tour to London, Siobhan met up with Lulu’s nephew, Stuart Benstead.
Helen said. the full story of her research can be read at: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ausmdgs/grape2010-09.pdf
This article from: Ref:- http://aliceonline.com.au/2011/09/05/what-a-lulu/#sthash.7AjgmlYV.dpuf
Moya Sharp
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