The Story Behind the Plaque
My great-great grandfather was William Pitt Snr (he was known as Pitt Snr as his son William Pitt Jnr was the renowned architect of many fabulous buildings in and around Melbourne, Ballarat, Tasmania and New Zealand, (some still standing) who spent all of his life in theatres, here is bit about Pitt Snr’s life within theatres in Melbourne.
William Pitt Snr was an artist and scenic artist, he arrived at Port Melbourne on 27 January 1853 on the ship Berman with his wife Jane and his brother Thomas as unassisted migrants. He was an experienced scene-painter from the London Lyceum Theatre, he was soon employed by the theatrical entrepreneur George Seth Coppin.
When Coppin’s company appeared at Geelong’s weatherboard Theatre Royal in March 1855 the building had been refurbished and decorated by William Pitt Snr. Coppin had purchased a prefabricated iron theatre in England in 1854 and had it shipped to Melbourne. This became the Olympic Theatre and William Pitt Snr painted many of the backdrops to G.V. Brooke’s Shakespearian performances there in 1855-56. Styled by the Argus in January 1856 as ‘the most accomplished scenic artist in the colonies’, he also painted the scenery for Brooke’s performances in August 1856 at Melbourne’s Theatre Royal owned by George Coppin. During the year he also worked with Wilson, Arragonni and Hennings on the Neapolitan panorama for Coppin’s Cremorne Gardens at Richmond, an enormous work reportedly covering 25 000 feet (7620 m) of canvas. In 1858 he painted a new panorama.
By then William Pitt Snr was general manager for the partnership of George Coppin & Gustavus Vaughan Brooke (GV Brooke), in charge of the finances of the Olympic Theatre, Theatre Royal, Cremorne Gardens and the Argyle Ball Rooms. When Coppin and Brooke partnership was dissolved William Pitt Snr remained with Coppin.
William Pitt Snr was lessee of the Theatre Royal for many years until his death on 17 January 1879 his wife Jane continued to manage the Theatre Royal. He was also a foundation member of the Victorian Academy of Arts.
Now that you have some understanding of William Pitt Snr, and his long association with the Theatre Royal you will understand why I had a passion to locate “Theatre Royal Plaque” and to have it removed from its current position, the K Mart staff tea room and relocated and displayed where it can be enjoyed by all Melbournians, visitors and theatre historians.
I first came across the knowledge of the Theatre Royal Plaque in 2019 when doing further work on my family tree. I came in contact with Mimi Colligan Senior Theatre Heritage Australia (Mimi as a senior theatre historian had done several articles on Wm Pitt Snr) who told me about the plaque and its past positioning. Mimi asked me to try and find out where the plaque is located now, Mimi said the plaque was originally displayed at the front of Manton’s store 236 Bourke Street Melbourne in 1937, unveiled by Lillian Coppin, great granddaughter of George Coppin.
It seems when Manton’s became Coles, an arcade was then built to one side of the old Manton’s store and the plaque was then displayed within that arcade, Mimi had seen the plaque in an office at the Target site some years before-hand. (Mimi has since retired, she is in her late 80’s, a charming and knowledgeable woman), Mimi expressed her concern for the plaque as since the last time Mimi saw the plaque, Coles rebranded the store from Target to KMart, so in 2019 I went to 236 Bourke Street to see where the plaque might be or is located. After making enquiries at the front door, a staff member said “I think I know what you are talking about, there!”.
Greg Sampson.
NB: The plaque is now located in the mall just outside the Security office on the ground floor.
Further information can be found here