A poetic ramble with CHRISTOPHER BRENNAN, Australia's first truly international poet, and an early 20th century resident of Mosman.
Christopher Brennan
Australian poet, scholar and literary critic
(1 November 1870 – 5 October 1932)
Brennan was born in Haymarket, an inner suburb of Sydney, to Christopher Brennan (d. 1919), a brewer, and his wife Mary Ann née Carroll (d. 1924), both Irish immigrants. His education took place at two schools in Sydney: he first attended St Aloysius' College, and after gaining a scholarship from Patrick Moran, he boarded at St Ignatius' College, Riverview.
Brennan entered the University of Sydney in 1888, taking up studies in the Classics, and won a travelling scholarship to Berlin. There he met his future wife, Anna Elisabeth Werth; there, also, he encountered the poetry of Stéphane Mallarmé. About this time, he decided to become a poet. In 1893 Brennan's article "On the Manuscripts of Aeschylus" appeared in The Journal of Philology. Brennan began forming a theory about the descent of Aeschylus' extant manuscripts in 1888.
Returning to Australia, Brennan took up a position as a cataloguer in the public library, before being given a position as assistant lecturer in French and German in the department of modern languages and literature and in 1920 the position of associate professor in German and comparative literature at the University of Sydney. In 1914, he produced his major work, Poems: 1913.
After Brennan's marriage broke up in 1922, he went to live with Violet Singer, the 'Vie' of his later poems, and, as a result of both his divorce and increasing drunkenness, he was removed from his position at the University in June 1925. The death of Singer in an accident in the same year left him distraught, and he spent most of his remaining years in poverty. Brennan died in 1932 from cancer.
To read the Australian Dictionary of Biography entry for Christopher Brennan, written by Axel Clark click here.
To view the Guide to the papers of Christopher Brennan in Trove: click here.
Melvyn Morrow
Writer & Narrator, Brennan@Balmoral
MELVYN MORROW’s first scripts were performed by three Australian showbiz legends: Gordon Chater and Jill Perryman at the Phillip Theatre and the Downstairs Revue, and in The Mavis Bramston Show by Barry Creyton.
With composer, John Mallord, Melvyn wrote book and lyrics for Brother Playboy or Frank Ass: The Francis of Assisi Musical, Cuckoo, a musical of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, Jack Point, a musical sequel to Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard, Disco, a radio musical for the stage, and Postcards From Provence, a musical adaptation of Alphonse Daudet’s nineteenth century classic, Letters From My Windmill.
Melvyn’s twenty first century two act update of The Francis of Assisi Musical, Perfectly Frank is published by Origin Music and is now available for schools and community theatre.
Melvyn wrote and directed A Song To Sing, O, the story of Gilbert and Sullivan and George Grossmith. Starring D’Oyly Carte doyen, John Reed and produced by Dame Bridget D’Oyly Carte, transferred to London’s Savoy Theatre. In Australia, A Song To Sing, O was performed by Anthony Warlow.and Dennis Olsen.
With John Michael Howson, Melvyn and David wrote the book of the mega-hit, SHOUT!, The Legend of The Wild One: the Johnny O’Keefe musical produced by Kevin Jacobsen. The writing trio's second musical, Dusty, starring Tamsin Carroll, celebrates the life of Dusty Springfield and proved an even bigger box-office smash, touring all mainland capitals.
With composer, Dion Condack, Melvyn has written the libretto of two musicals, Heaven and Dorian Gray Naked. Melvyn’s play, Vice, was produced in 2015 at Sydney’s King St Theatre. His most recent play, Pope2Pope premiered by Hunters Hill Theatre in August 2023.
Ray Mainsbridge
plays Christopher Brennan in Brennan@Balmoral.
Ray was introduced to acting in high school by Melvyn Morrow who showed him the logic of combining his love of poetry and performance. Ray graduated from the Actor’s Centre Australia in 2017, where his credits included Laertes in Hamlet and Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World. Ray’s theatre credits include Northanger Abbey and The Merchant of Venice with the Genesian Theatre, and F*cking Men with the New Theatre. Ray has also worked extensively with Opera Australia, performing in productions of Werther, La Traviata and Otello.