Travelling circus (1882–1963)
With the Australian banking crisis of 1893, the Wirths went on a seven-year overseas tour.[17] While giving a performance in October 1895 at Mount Video, Uruguay, the Politeama Theatre burnt down and was completely destroyed.[18] Returning to South Africa, they found the Second Boer War in progress, but made their neutrality clear; but on one occasion, the circus train narrowly missed demolition as the Boers were about to blow a bridge over the Modder River.[5]
While Philip Wirth was a ringmaster standing 6 ft tall and weighing 14 st, he was also an expert horse trainer. In 1893 in South Africa, he trained a gnu to ride on the back of a horse, and broke and trained six zebras, which according to Wirth, The Bible allegedly said to be the only animal that could not be trained.[19] When in South America in 1895, he trained two wild mustangs to waltz together. In another instance, a pony would enter the ring dressed as a woman, undress, put on a nightgown, blow out a candle and get into bed; teaching all done without cruelty, but patience and some sugar.
With an extending family and adopting family members, the troupe undertook significant world tours additional to travelling extensively by horse-drawn wagon and special trains around Australia.[1] In 1901 May Wirth (1894–1978) became the adopted daughter of Mary,[20] to become "greatest bareback riding star".[21] She later was inducted in 1963 into the Circus Hall of Fame.
Renown wrestler Buttan Singh performed with the company in the early 1900s, billed as one of the 'champion Hindu wrestlers of Australia'.[22]
The 1903 programme, in a tent that held 400 people comfortably, with electric light, included:[23]
Outside there was another tent with a menagerie of animals.
In July 1910, the circus had a lion, two lionesses and two Russian wolves escape at Murrurundi, NSW.[7][24] In September 1917, a lion and lioness by means unknown were able to get loose at Campbelltown, NSW.[25]
By 1930 Wirth's Circus was now operating on a two-yearly national tour, usually staged for August's Royal Exhibition Show in Brisbane, Easter in Sydney, and November's Melbourne Cup.[10][26] The company presented winning jockeys with gold-mounted whips.[27][28] The alternate year was a visit to New Zealand.[5]
The circus was the only one allowed to operate during World War II in Australia, but faced the challenges of travel by road and petrol rationing.[16] The troupe used Muston Park, Sydney, New South Wales as a performance area in 1942.
After World War II, painter Norma Bull (1906–1980) travelled with the company painting scenes of circus life for twelve months.
One of the circus' most famous elephants was 'Princess Alice'.[1] George Wirth's favourite elephant was 'Jumbo' but had to be shot when it went rogue in Brisbane.[7]
In the 1950s, the company used two Victorian Railways wooden bogie passenger carriages as accommodation in the 1950s.[29] The circus staff complained about the poor condition of the carriages, which by that stage were over 60 years old. In 1962 the pair were withdrawn from the circus train.
- wild animal performance by Mons. Ragoul, which included bareback riding by a tiger;
- a tiger-drawn chariot with a tiger coachman;
- an elephant, bear, camel and monkey took afternoon-tea in the ring;
- acts of a funny clown;
- Brothers Howard with memory and object games;
- the Flying Eugenes in mid-air;
- Philip's daughter Phyllis performing on horseback like a 'human butterfly';
- The Cantons, two Anglo-Chinese acrobats, on a revolving ladder;
- contortionist Masinga;
- Philip Wirth taking the snow-white stallion' Moncrieff, through paces;
- a boxing match by a pair of ponys;
- Mary Wirth undertook juggling on horseback, while William Carl did a bareback riding act; and
- aerial Roman rings act, tumbling and riding.
