Julia Mathews

Actress and singer

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.

Life

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.^[3]

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.^[4] She was one of the first to call for a search party.^[3] Matthews died aged just 33, in St. Louis, Missouri.^[5]

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.^[6]

References

^ Works By. austlit.edu.au
^ Works By. austlit.edu.au
^ ^a ^b Gittins, Jean, "Julia Mathews (1842–1876)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 4 August 2024
^ "Julia Matthews, c. 1862". National Portrait Gallery collection. Retrieved 4 August 2024.
^ Works By. austlit.edu.au
^ "A Survey & Some Opinions". The Sydney Mail. Vol. L, no. 1302. New South Wales, Australia. 10 March 1937. p. 6. Retrieved 20 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.