HAGSOC Monthly Meeting: Australia's Travelling Showpeople

Mark St Leon:  Australia’s Travelling Showpeople

At the monthly meeting of The Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra on Tuesday 5 June 2012 at 8pm at the Neighbourhood Hall, Cook Community Hub, 41 Templeton Street Cook (6251 7004) our guest speaker will be Mr Mark St Leon.  Mark’s topic will be:  Australia’s Travelling Showpeople.

Mark St Leon, who has lectured in economics, accounting and management at a number of Australian universities, is a descendant of the St Leon circus family.  He has written eight biographies of circus people for the Australian Dictionary of Biography, as well as a PhD and a  book:  Circus - the Australian Story. 

The itinerant life, paucity of education, word-of-mouth and lack of scholarly concern means that few circus people committed their experiences to posterity, preserved documentary evidence or bothered to investigate the past.

Mark's talk will be devoted to explaining the origins and development of Australia's travelling show industry, with particular reference to the circus and the challenges involved in studying circus genealogy. The talk will last about 45 minutes and will include some short film clips.

There is no charge and visitors are welcome.

Please check Calendar page on HAGSOC website (http://hagsoc.org.au) in case of last minute changes or cancellations.

The Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc was founded in 1964 ‘to promote and encourage the study and preservation of family history, genealogy, heraldry and allied subjects, and to assist members and others in research in these areas.’  The Society is run entirely by volunteers, who give generously of their time, expertise and goodwill to provide a service for all members. 

The Secretary

The Heraldry & Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc

GPO Box 585

CANBERRA ACT 2601