James Brunton Gibb
Encyclopedia
James Brunton Gibb L.T.C.L.(Licentiate of Trinity College London) (13 January 1897 – 28 June 1968) was a prominent Australian performer and teacher of elocution.
He was born "James Thomas Gibb" but adopted his mother's maiden name as his middle name. He studied at Sydney High School and was to become a prominent member of their Old Boys' Union. He began his stage career entertaining troops as a member of the "Anzac Coves" (after a command performance at Buckingham Palace
given royal assent to be called "Royal Anzac Coves"), after active service in Egypt, France and Flanders.
He studied elocution under Lawrence Campbell and continued to draw on his expertise while gaining credentials for judging. He founded his elocution school in 1920?, based in Paling's Building, Sydney, where he later formed the Brunton Gibb Players. From 1919 to 1939 he regularly gave popular recitals, commonly at St James' Hall
in Phillip St., or King's Hall, Sydney, accompanied by performers such as Ethel Lang, Lindley Evans
, Rosa Alba, Albert Goossens, Tom Lamond, Idwal Jenkins and Wilfred Thomas
.
He also supported rival schools run by Gladys Guest, S Gordon Lavers, Zita Swales and Beth Powe. He organised music festivals and the first Auburn
eisteddfod.
He served as adjudicator at that and similar competitions at Kurri Kurri Taree
Riverina
Goulburn
, Maitland
, Toronto, New South Wales
, Windsor, Queensland
then major contests in Brisbane
, Wellington, New Zealand Devonport, Tasmania
and contributed to many charity fund-raisers and Anzac Day
services.
During WWII he served as an amenities officer (initially as lieutenant then promoted to captain), organising tours for such entertainers as Gracie Fields
He was an officer in the United Grand Lodge, a Masonic order, a competitive golfer, a competent singer, organist and piano accompanist. He was a member of the Sydney Savage Club, being elected president in 1946.
, one of his pupils, in 1923. They frequently appeared on stage together.
They had a son Peter in 1924, a daughter (Judith) Wendy in 1925 a daughter Barbara Joan around 1928 and a son David in 1939. The whole family used "Brunton" as though it were part of their surname.
Peter and Wendy Brunton Gibb both excelled in elocution.
Wendy appeared in the 1949 Charles Chauvel film Sons of Matthew, left for London and joined Dan O'Connor's British Commonwealth Players and in 1953 became Mrs Michael Benge.
Peter served with the RAAF during WWII and married in 1946.
Barbara was educated at Fort Street High School
and worked as a radio and stage actress associated with Doris Fitton
's Independent Theatre
and Mercury Theatre
under the name Barbara Brunton, marrying journalist Stuart Revill in 1952.
David became Professor of Anaesthetics and Intensive Care at UNSW in 2001. He is commemorated at Sydney High School by the David Brunton Gibb Prize for Soccer.
He was born "James Thomas Gibb" but adopted his mother's maiden name as his middle name. He studied at Sydney High School and was to become a prominent member of their Old Boys' Union. He began his stage career entertaining troops as a member of the "Anzac Coves" (after a command performance at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
given royal assent to be called "Royal Anzac Coves"), after active service in Egypt, France and Flanders.
He studied elocution under Lawrence Campbell and continued to draw on his expertise while gaining credentials for judging. He founded his elocution school in 1920?, based in Paling's Building, Sydney, where he later formed the Brunton Gibb Players. From 1919 to 1939 he regularly gave popular recitals, commonly at St James' Hall
St James' Hall, Sydney
St James' Hall, sometimes written as St James's Hall, was a building which stood at 171 Phillip Street, Sydney, near King Street. It figured prominently in the history of small theatre in Australia...
in Phillip St., or King's Hall, Sydney, accompanied by performers such as Ethel Lang, Lindley Evans
Lindley Evans
Lindley Evans CMG was a South African-born Australian composer, pianist and teacher. He is best known for his collaboration with Frank Hutchens in a famous piano duet which lasted 41 years, and as the ABC's "Mr Melody Man" for 30 years.Harry Lindley Evans was born in Cape Town in 1895, to English...
, Rosa Alba, Albert Goossens, Tom Lamond, Idwal Jenkins and Wilfred Thomas
Wilfred Thomas
Wilfred Thomas was a british born Australian singer, songwriter, broadcaster and Radio and television commentator for the BBC.Born in 1904 in London Thomas left for Australia in 1936...
.
He also supported rival schools run by Gladys Guest, S Gordon Lavers, Zita Swales and Beth Powe. He organised music festivals and the first Auburn
Auburn, New South Wales
Auburn is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales Australia. Auburn is located 19 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Auburn Council.-History:...
eisteddfod.
He served as adjudicator at that and similar competitions at Kurri Kurri Taree
Taree
Taree is a city in Australia: It may also refer to:a personal name:* a Japanese boys/girls name meaning "bending branch".* a boys name derived from an Aboriginal word meaning "wild fig", "fruit of the wild fig", or "fig tree"....
Riverina
Riverina
The Riverina is an agricultural region of south-western New South Wales , Australia. The Riverina is distinguished from other Australian regions by the combination of flat plains, warm to hot climate and an ample supply of water for irrigation. This combination has allowed the Riverina to develop...
Goulburn
Goulburn, New South Wales
Goulburn is a provincial city in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia in Goulburn Mulwaree Council Local Government Area. It is located south-west of Sydney on the Hume Highway and above sea-level. On Census night 2006, Goulburn had a population of 20,127 people...
, Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
, Toronto, New South Wales
Toronto, New South Wales
Toronto is a town within the city of Lake Macquarie in New South Wales, Australia, approximately from Newcastle's central business district and is a commercial hub for the sprawling suburbs on the western shore of the lake.-History:...
, Windsor, Queensland
Windsor, Queensland
Windsor is an inner northern suburb of Brisbane, located about 3.5 km from the CBD. It is largely residential, featuring many old Queenslanders, although there is also considerable retail commercial activity, primarily concentrated along Lutwyche and Newmarket Roads.-History:Land was first...
then major contests in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Wellington, New Zealand Devonport, Tasmania
Devonport, Tasmania
-Sport:The Devonport Football Club is an Australian Rules team competing in the Tasmanian Statewide League. The Devonport Rugby Club is a Rugby Union team competing in the Tasmanian Rugby Union Statewide League...
and contributed to many charity fund-raisers and Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
services.
During WWII he served as an amenities officer (initially as lieutenant then promoted to captain), organising tours for such entertainers as Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
He was an officer in the United Grand Lodge, a Masonic order, a competitive golfer, a competent singer, organist and piano accompanist. He was a member of the Sydney Savage Club, being elected president in 1946.
Personal life
He married Ethel LangEthel Lang
Ethel Isabel Lang was an Australian actress prominent in radio in the '40s and '50s. She married elocution teacher James Brunton Gibb in 1923...
, one of his pupils, in 1923. They frequently appeared on stage together.
They had a son Peter in 1924, a daughter (Judith) Wendy in 1925 a daughter Barbara Joan around 1928 and a son David in 1939. The whole family used "Brunton" as though it were part of their surname.
Peter and Wendy Brunton Gibb both excelled in elocution.
Wendy appeared in the 1949 Charles Chauvel film Sons of Matthew, left for London and joined Dan O'Connor's British Commonwealth Players and in 1953 became Mrs Michael Benge.
Peter served with the RAAF during WWII and married in 1946.
Barbara was educated at Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School
Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and worked as a radio and stage actress associated with Doris Fitton
Doris Fitton
Doris Alice Fitton Mason, DBE was an Australian actress and theatrical director who founded and for 35 years headed Sydney's Independent Theatre, staging a diverse range of local and international dramas, many for the first time in Australia, including Sumner Locke-Elliott's wartime comedy, Rusty...
's Independent Theatre
Independent Theatre
The Independent Theatre was a dramatic society founded in 1930 by Doris Fitton , and was also the name given to the building it occupied from 1938. It was named for London's Independent Theatre Society founded by J. T...
and Mercury Theatre
Mercury Theatre
The Mercury Theatre was a theatre company founded in New York City in 1937 by Orson Welles and John Houseman. After a string of live theatrical productions, in 1938 the Mercury Theatre progressed into their best-known period as The Mercury Theatre on the Air, a radio series that included one of the...
under the name Barbara Brunton, marrying journalist Stuart Revill in 1952.
David became Professor of Anaesthetics and Intensive Care at UNSW in 2001. He is commemorated at Sydney High School by the David Brunton Gibb Prize for Soccer.