Greg Dempsey

Gilbert and Sullivan in Victoria

In the world of Gilbert and Sullivan 2025 actually marked four notable anniversaries:

• Arthur Sullivan died on the 22 November 1900, 125 years ago
• The Mikado the most popular of the Savoy Operas, premiered on the 14 March 1885, 140 years ago
• But more importantly to us, the first collaboration for Richard D'Oyly Carte happened on the 25March 1875, 150 years ago
• And the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Victoria was founded on the 28August 1935, 90 years ago

How did it all come about?

Richard D’Oyly Carte

Arthur Sullivan, 1888, by Sir John Everett Millais

An opera singer called Celina Dolaro hired the Royalty Theatre in London to present herself in a variety of operas. She engaged as her manager a young man known as Richard D’Oyly Carte, who was also her agent, with the firm of Rudal Carte and Co.

Theatre-goers in the 19th century liked to get their money’s worth and expected more than one work to be on the program. In addition to the main attraction there would be a curtain raiser and an afterpiece.

It was D’Oyly Carte who reunited Gilbert and Sullivan to create an afterpiece for La Pericole, by Offenbach. (They had previously collaborated on Thespis, or, The Gods Grown Old for John Hollingshead, which was staged at the Gaiety Theatre, London as a Christmas extravaganza in 1871, but afterwards had gone their separate ways, except for a couple of ballads that they wrote: 'The Distant Shore' published in 1874, and ‘Sweethearts’ – inspired by Gilbert’s play of that name – published in 1875).

Most books on G&S say that Carte happened to run into Gilbert and asked him if he were interested in providing something for the theatre. But in fact, Sullivan was engaged first. The programme for the opening of La Pericole on the 30 January states ‘in preparation a New Comic Opera, composed expressly for this theatre by Mr Arthur Sullivan in which Madame Dolaro and Nellie Bromley will appear’. This is the first night programme. You will notice in the cast a certain Frederic Sullivan. D’Oyly Carte had previously worked with him and it may be that though his brother Carte came to know Arthur Sullivan.

Obviously, Carte thought the bill could be improved and brought the composer together with W.S. Gilbert who was making his name as both a dramatist and a librettist. Trial by Jury had begun life as a Bab Ballad. Gilbert regularly contributed comic verses for a magazine called Fun. Trial was one of these.

Gilbert had adapted this into a one-act work for the stage, which he sent to Carl Rosa, who had his own opera company, for Rosa to set for his wife. Unfortunately, that lady died and the manuscript was returned. So, on the request of Carte, Gilbert brought it out and Sullivan was asked to set the work. There was only a matter of weeks before it was finished rehearsed and put on the stage on the 25 March 1875.

Programme for the 1875 season at the Royalty Theatre

At that stage, Sullivan, just 32, was expected to become the beacon of English serious music and through his life he continued to write oratorios, cantatas and works for major music festivals.  He was seduced away to the world of light opera by Carte and we can all be grateful for this.

On Trial’s opening the main attraction was still La Pericole, but with a curtain-raiser called Chryptoconchoidsymphonsamata!

The merit of the work was immediately recognised and Trial soon replaced the work with the unwieldy title in the more prestigious position as curtain-raiser.

It was Carte’s ambition to create a school of English comic opera. He envisioned a number of composers and librettists creating works, which he would produce. Of course, his partnership with Gilbert and Sullivan was so successful that he did not move on to managing a stable of composers and librettists.

It took him two years to raise enough money, to commission the writing of their next work The Sorcerer. And then there were various problems with investors, until he managed to get rid of them and form the triumvirate of manager, composer, librettist to bring the works to the stage.

So, Trial by Jury was the beginning of what must surely be the most successful theatrical partnership in history. They became household names not only throughout Britain but also the USA, Australia and Europe and continued to be so through most of the 20th century.

So, now let us look at how we, in Australia, came to know and love the operas.

Piracy was rife, not on the high seas, but in all forms of artistic enterprise. Copyright laws were not strong enough to prevent works being produced in just about every country, but the most egregiously in America. In 1878, HMS Pinaforetook to the stage in London and very soon after around the world. It created the same style of enormous following that the Beatles did in the 1960s and that Taylor Swift seemed to engender on her recent tour of Australia.

It is said that there were over 100 productions in America, and of course none paid any royalites to Gilbert or Sullivan. Seeing the popularity of these works was an American actor named James Cassius Williamson.

Trial by Jury, 1875

In late 2025, Theatre Heritage Australia, launched a book about George Coppin, the Australian entrepreneur. It was Coppin who was advised by his American agent, that he should engage Williamson and his wife, Maggie Moore, to tour Australia under Coppin’s management and that it would be ‘the most profitable engagement ever made by you and me’. This was in 1873, before the G&S partnership. And what’s more, with something that seems like a premonition of the future, the ship on which they arrived in Australia was the SS Mikado.

The Williamsons arrived in Melbourne in July 1874, on a day they described as ‘cold, wet and miserable’ and opened at the Theatre Royal with the play that had brought them great success in their home country, Struck Oil.

And indeed, they did 'strike oil'. The play achieved a run of 43 nights, which was a record for this city of 110,000 residents. They toured Australia for fifteen successful months and returned to America via India and England.

Three years later, once Pinafore had established itself as a major money maker, Williamson contacted Gilbert and Sullivan and paid for the exclusive right to present the work in Australia. The rights were originally offered to William Lyster but he turned the offer down on the grounds that such a work would not be to the taste of Australians. Wiliamson heard that there were already productions of Pinafore happening here and took legal action.

If you visit Castlemaine, you will hear that HMS Pinafore was the first of the G&S operas to be staged in Australia and this was at their theatre, now a cinema. I asked about this claim when I was there and they are adamant that this is true, but could not give me any details, so we will not give them any credence.

But a firm led by Leon and Kelly was playing the work and so was Horace Linguard, another American who had in the past employed Williamson, and also Hiscock and Hayman. All claimed that English copyright laws did not apply to them, and anyway JCW was still in America and so the pirate performances continued. Williamson engaged lawyers to sue and won the cases, collecting £500 from Leon and Kelly, £200 from Hiscock and Hayman and £300 from Horace Lingard. So before setting foot in Australia he had made a handsome profit, having only paid £300 for the rights.

Struck Oil

Nellie Stewart

A performer in one of these offending productions was Nellie Stewart. She would go on to a most distinguished career and did indeed return to G&S in Australia.

Once he had legally established his exclusive rights he travelled to Australia and then opened his own production, playing the role of Sir Joseph Porter himself with his wife as Josephine. It went brilliantly.

Its huge success encouraged Williamson to negotiate for the rights of the next opera, The Pirates of Penzance, for which he paid £1,000. This time he played the Sargent of Police with an Irish accent, creating a tradition that all following in the role also used the same accent.

From this success, Williamson formed his own Comic Opera Company, later amended to the Royal Comic Opera Company, because his productions were seen at the Theatres Royal in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Although he appeared in the first two of his productions, he did not have a good singing voice. His conductor, Signor Paolo Giorza, said of him ‘he knew only one note and he sing it all the time.’

He did appear on stage after this but most of his time was spent on management. His firm secured the rights to all the G&S operas until the copyright ran out in 1961. It was the foundation of his success and if there was ever a lean spell, another revival of the Savoy operas was created to bring in the money.

In time Williamson’s became the largest performing organisation in the world. Not only did it tour all the large productions from Britian and America throughout Australia, New Zealand and parts of Asia, but they owned theatres in the capital cities and later film and radio studios.

Of course, these antipodean performances created the desire for more involvement with the G&S Operas. By the way, in what we call the ‘inner brotherhood’—a term from Patience, we never say operettas. They are comic operas.

JCW mainly engaged his cast from Australian singers but he also brought out many who had worked in England under the direction of Gilbert. They insisted our productions should be performed as they were at the Savoy and so Australia adopted the revered Tradition of the works from the outset. When The Mikado opened in Melbourne, it was heralded on the cover of the Australasian Sketcher.

Maggie Moore and J.C. Williamson in HMS Pinafore, 1879

Scenes from The Mikado, Australasian Sketcher, 10 March 1886

Some of these artists had the good taste to like this country so much that they stayed on and became Australian household names, starring not only in G&S but also other Williamson works. One of these was Federici, real name Frederic Baker.

Federici's only appearance at the Savoy was as Sir Roderick Murgatroyd in two matinee performances of Ruddigore in February 1887, before going to New York to play the role in D'Oyly Carte's American production of the opera until April. But he toured all round England for many years in the various D'Oyly Carte touring companies. When The Pirates of Penzance premiered in New York, it was essential to secure the British copyright, so a once-only performance of it was done in the Devonshire town of Paignton. Federici was the Pirate King. Later he was the first to play the Mikado in New York. He also played that role in Australia at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne in 1887. He remained here and created another degree of fame for himself. He was cast as Mephistopheles in Faust, which opened at the Princess Theatre. As he sang his last notes and descended through the trap to hell, he suffered a heart attack and died. Nevertheless, the cast all claimed he was on stage with them in the curtain call. There are those who still claim that he can be seen in the theatre and if he is present at a first night, then the show will be a success. There is a plan to celebrate this man with a musical about his life.

As the popularity of the operas grew so did that of those associated with various roles. Just as in England, the comics parts were known as the Grossmith roles, then the Lytton, the Martyn Green, the Peter Pratt and the John Reed roles. So, it was down under. One of the first to establish this was Howard Vernon. In 1881 he played Major General Stanley in The Pirates of Penzance going on to Bunthorne in Patience, the Lord Chancellor in Iolanthe, and here he is as Ko-Ko in The Mikado. 

Howard Vernon (1885)

Autographed title page of Vinia de Loitte's booklet

We know about him mainly from a small book that his second wife, Vinia De Loitte published. There is very little written on G&S history in Australia but De Loitte, also known as the Comtesse de Vilme-Hautmont, published this small booklet covering the productions. It seemed to come out almost every year with updates. I have seen at least half a dozen editions dated in various years to the mid-1930s.

Incidentally, every copy I have seen is autographed, so if you find an unautographed one it may be rare and valuable. She herself joined the Williamson company and among her many appearances was in the Australian premiere of Utopia, Limited, as Princess Kalyba.

Aggie Thorne as Princess Nekaya & Vinia de Loitte as Princess Kalyba in Utopia, Ltd. (1906) 

Ivan Menzies as John Wellington Wells in The Sorcerer (1942)

Although Vernon was greatly acclaimed, he retired to Melbourne and owned a bookshop and when he died his estate was valued at £47.

Another English performer who starred in G&S was C.H. Workman, who performed here with great success. He was invited back to the Savoy, but died at sea off Hong Kong on the way back to Australia following a tour of India and the far East with the JCW G&S Opera Company in 1923. You can find out his history from Theatre Heritage’s own on-line magazine.

Coming into the 20th century, I have met many who think of the G&S performances as represented by Ivan Menzies.

He had been an understudy in the touring D’Oyly Carte companies for a few years, taking over as principal comedian of the "New" Company in July 1925 until its disbandment in June 1927, and had married the lovely soprano Elsie Griffin. He seized the chance to come to Australia when invited to join Williamsons. Here he became a star. Everyone who remembers seeing him from those days has great praise for him, but I have met a number of folk who knew him personally and I have never heard a good word said about him. When he married Elsie, the company was playing in Leeds but they travelled to Sheffield for the wedding. It was his view that before the marriage Elsie, as a single woman, should pay her own train fare there and as her husband, he would pay it on the way back.

Later he joined the Moral Rearmament Movement and a biography of him does seem to have been written to promote that. But I do not have enough knowledge of the organisation to make any relevant comment.

JCW, which I will from now on refer to as ‘The Firm’ regularly revived the operas and took them round not only Australia but New Zealand and parts of Asia. These tours occurred regularly through the teens to the early 1960s.

John Adams as Pish-Tush, Richard Wordsworth as Ko-Ko & Martin Lawrence as Pooh-Bah in the 1962 JCW revival

One revival of the operas came to Melbourne in 1935. To promote it, the Argus newspaper conducted a plebiscite of its readers, asking them to vote for their favourite opera.  For the record The Yeomen of the Guard won, with The Mikadocoming second. This prompted a suggestion that there should be an association for lovers of the operas. A Mr Stewart set the ball rolling by sending a letter to The Age, proposing a G&S Society. This was responded to by a number of people influential in the music world at the time, including Professor Bernard Heinze, Director of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium. Bernard Manning, one of the old D’Oyly Carters who was now performing with the Firm and Gregory Stroud, another such, gave their support, as did Frank Tait, managing director of J.C. Williamsons. Professor Heinze offered the conservatorium as a meeting place. On 28 August 1935, The Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Victoria officially came into being.

This did cause a little discord. The Old Player and Playgoers Club, had had a similar idea and was setting up a club called The Savoyards. Their president Alfred Peters was not happy to be overtaken by another society and terse letters were exchanged.

Once initiated, the G&S Society met on the third Friday of every month, read through parts of the operas or Gilbert’s plays and sang choruses. After a year of this, they felt ready to produce a full opera which they did on the 24 October. If you pass a Mexican restaurant near the corner of Russell and Bourke Streets, give it a reverential nod—because in 1936 it was the site of the King’s Theatre and the venue of our first season. The Sorcerer was presented with Gilbert’s play Rosencranz and Guildenstern preceding it.

It was reviewed in The Herald. It is difficult to read, but it is a curiosity because it focusses solely on the costumes.

Colourful settings and gay costumes are features of this bright opera.  Violet Jackson wore several attractive frocks, her first appearance was made in a period gown of sage green taffeta made with a wide panier skirt.  Later she wore a lovely frock of white satin which had a full skirt, amply trimmed with frills of gold lace. Dorothy James, who played the part of Lady Sangazure was a decorative figure in a lavender brocade gown embossed with glistening crystal beads and trimmed with silver lace.

The Argus chose to be more constructive:

As the family sorcerer John W. Wells, Paull Fiddian carried off the dramatic honours of the evening. His handling of the patter song was remarkably good … Violet Jackson made an attractive heroine and was well seconded by her adoring Alexis.

Violet Jackson, I may add, our first leading lady, was involved with the Society through the years from the start to the 1980s. She had been a principal with the Firm, but retired when she married. She performed with us for some years and then, she became a director and passed on her knowledge to succeeding generations. Here she is in a program from our 50th year where she is listed as producer.

From G&S Society of Victoria program

Suzanne Holden as 'Josephine' in Pinafore 

While many of our members went on to a professional career, only one ever rose to the heights of singing with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company.  After performing the leading soprano roles in several of our productions, Suzanne Holden auditioned for and won a place with the premiere G&S Company in England, staying with them until they wound up in 1983.  This photo is of her singing Josephine in HMS Pinafore, a role she understudied.

By now of course Williamson himself had moved on to that great green room in the sky and The Firm, still under its old name, had amalgamated with the Taits, a family of four brothers, with Frank Tait at the helm.

Tait had been supportive of the establishment of the G&S Society but now was even more generous. 

The G&S Society then staged the first revival of Utopia, Limited since its professional Australian tour of 1906, for four nights at the King’s Theatre from Wednesday, 6 October 1937 to the following Saturday. The Sun-News Pictorial noted that: “It will be presented by a specially selected cast and chorus of 80, with the University Students’ Orchestra conducted by J. Sutton Crow. The producer is Mr. Lennox Brewer, formerly of J.C. Williamson Ltd.” This followed on from a programme of excerpts from the opera that the Society had presented in the Melba Hall at Melbourne University in late June of that year. The production was subsequently reviewed in the Sun, with emphasis once again given to the costumes rather than the performance itself.

Utopia Opens at King’s Theatre

COLOUFUL settings and gay frocking make bright entertainment of the Savoy opera, Utopia Ltd., presented by the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Victoria, in association with J. C. Williamson Ltd., in the King’s Theatre last night.

This amusing opera, which takes place over two acts in Utopia, will be presented again tonight, tomorrow and Saturday nights.

Opening in a palm grove, with the blue ocean in the background and tropical foliage on the shore making a glamorous background for the grass skirts, leis and flowers worn by the girls, the action then moves to the throne room in King Paramount’s Palace.

In vivid contrast with the colorfulness of the clothes worn by the island girls are the pure white saris and draped skirts worn by the Princesses Nekaya and Kalyba (Alice Harris and Amanda Neil) and the emerald green velvet frock of the Princess Zara (Dorothy Bendall). This frock is made with a redingote with a scalloped band of gold metal lace at the hem of the full skirt, matching the flounced underskirt and frills edging the elbow-length sleeves. Her hat of matching velvet is trimmed with shaded green plumage.

The Sun News-Pictorial, Thursday, 7 October 1937, page 46

The backing of Williamson’s is also an indication that the production may have reused the original 31 year-old scenery from the opera’s 1906 tour (or at least “equivalent” scenery from its storehouse), in addition to costumes from the JCW Wardrobe Department.

In 1938 the society also mounted a production of The Gondoliers, for which Frank Tait allowed us to use His Majesty’s Theatre as well as JCW's costumes and scenery and orchestra.

Publicity for the production noted there were 100 performers involved. I am guessing that this must have included the orchestra as fitting 100 people onto the stage, not to mention allowing them to dance on it would have been some feat.

When the copyright lapsed in 1961 there were attempts to mount more modern productions but the public rejected them.

Program for the 1969/1970 season

Dennis Olsen in Patience

Then in 1969, the Elizabethan Theatre Trust, a forerunner of the Australian Opera, mounted four of the operas; Pirates, Iolanthe, HMS Pinafore and The Yeomen of the Guard and toured them round the country. It was cast mainly with opera singers, who were able to act and bring the works to life musically as perhaps they had not been heard for some time. They had a very successful season at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, and they also created a star. Dennis Olsen was primarily an actor with a good reputation in dramatic roles. He was cast in the patter roles of Major General Stanley, the Lord Chancellor and Sir Joseph Porter and from then on, he was known for his G&S work—although he by no means stopped performing in other genres. The Australian Opera thrived on its revivals of G&S.

Greg Dempsey and members of the Hawthorn Operatic Society

We were not the only company to perform G&S in Melbourne. In the 1970s, when I moved here, there were at least five who regularly put on the operas. Now we have two. The Savoy began its life when members of a Surrey Hills Church Choir formed the Mont Albert Choral Society and then began staging operas under the name of The Youth Operatic Society. By 1952 they were the Hawthorn Operatic Society and one of their members was Greg Dempsey. You may remember him as a principal with the Victoria State Opera and the Australian Opera, but he had previously made a considerable career in England, especially well-known for his roles in Britten’s operas but he began with the Hawthorn Society, and thanks to our THA member, Geoffrey Orr, I can bring you some pictures of his early days on stage. Geoffrey has contributed articles on Demsey to our magazine.

The Hawthorn Society went through more changes of name. A portion of the society preferred to sing G&S while others wanted to move to operetta and opera. That section called themselves the Victorian Light Opera Company which later was the foundation of the Victoria State Opera, of beloved memory. The remaining members christened themselves the Savoy Company. They now exist as a touring group visiting smaller venues round Melbourne and Victoria.

But back to us. We have moved around over the years from school halls to better equipped theatres. We have also taken shows to a number of country venues all round Victoria and twice to England to attend the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival in Buxton, where we presented Patience, Yeomen and The Arcadians. The shows were well received and garnered several awards.  We have even performed on the Polly Woodside with something we called HMS Gilbert and Sullivan and most bizarrely, we took Trial by Jury to Pentridge Prison and the inmates loved it. Of course, it helped that the father of the Plaintiff was a prison governor.

Over the years we have strived to improve our staging, I believe during the war, sacking was used to paint backdrops on. That must have been difficult. Also, our programs have become more sophisticated.

At the end of Diana’s talk, a delightful concert performance of Trial by Jurywas given by members of Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Victoria.

Photo by Robert Wagner 

Gregory John Dempsey, OAM, was born in Collingwood, an inner suburb of Melbourne, on 20 July 1931. His parents were Patrick and Gwen Dempsey who married in 1929. It was only a short time later in 1931 that baby Gregory John arrived. The joy had begun for Mum and Dad.

Greg’s mum and dad, Gwen and Patrick, Dempsey on their wedding day in 1929

Master Greg Dempsey at age ten in a tailored suit for a family photo

Who could have guessed the young lad would learn how to tap dance. Mind you, he did at times forget his personally choreographed steps, but studied voice, piano basics and acting. He was a mere six years old when he took up these skills and this training regime lasted for two to three years. There was music in the house all the time, because Greg’s father Patrick sang at home. His love of music and mother’s encouragement imbued their son with the sophistication this art form required. With his bright personality, aptitude and natural ability, these all came into use in Greg’s very, extensive career later on, and very much upon the opera stage. Greg’s dance teacher was the one and only Olive Thompson, who was one of Melbourne’s best tip-top-tappers of the late 1930s. Her career was quite illustrious in itself.

A very cute and smartly dressed eight year old boy dancer, singer and piano player

Launceston The Examiner newspaper item from 10 March 1944 extolling the talent and experiences of Greg’s first dancing teacher, Miss Olive Thompson

Greg’s first teacher for piano was Betty Jones who introduced the boy to the skills he needed and later, Mavis Kruger became his vocal coach. This arrangement lasted till Gregory was 22 years of age. It was whilst singing in the baritone range with radio show “Peter’s Pals” around the age of 13 to 14 years that Gregory’s teachers experimented with him singing in the tenor range. He had commenced his career as baritone after his voice broke, and with radio programs such as “Talent Tote” at 3XY and “The P & A Parade” at radio 3KZ where Margot Sheridan was the piano accompanist. She would give the teenage boy more encouragement and tuition. Whilst at the “Hotel Ritz” in Melbourne city, Gregory met pianist Les Tobias, who would mentor the young man through lots of additional tuition and various experimentation over choice of songs and work through his range and best keys.

This teacher and mentor working relationship enabled Gregory to explore many possibilities and his gratitude is still vivid in his memory for such a teacher.

With pianist Les Tobias

The portfolio of arts subjects studied as a teenager when he attended school would become the centre of attention for him to be teased and ridiculed. This was mainly by the young girls about his involvement in these activities which they considered as “sissy” pursuits. This was what was the reasoned stupidity in the era around World War Two and the following post war years. Gregory’s determination to follow his heart in these chosen arts also reaffirmed his strong commitment to do all that was necessary for practice and his dedication to it. This was his driving force.

Young Gregory with his mother, Gwen attending a special event, and above right, is a news paper clipping from Listener In showing the “Teenage Talent” radio program cast for broadcaster 3KZ, probably around the year 1950. There’s quite a few stars present that went on to some stardom in their own chosen genre.

During his time at 3KZ “Kia Ora Teenage Talent” both the orchestra leader Tommy Davidson and producer and host Doug Elliott suggested that Gregory could become a tenor as his vocal range was two octaves at this time. Vocal coach Mavis Kreuger also agreed. So, Gregory auditioned for a position with the Youth Operatic Society in front of the Musical Director, Charles Famel. Gregory’s audition was a great success and he was accepted immediately. His first role, at 18 years of age was in Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard. This was in 1949 and over the next 3 to 4 years, Gregory sang in most of the Gilbert And Sullivan Savoy operas in major roles. In HMS Pinafore he sang the role of Ralph Rackstraw. All this was a wonderful experience for Greg and an acknowledgement of his budding vocal talents. Plus, the added charm of his youthful and equally marketable, boyish, good looks.

The Youth Operatic Society in the 1949 production of The Yeomen of the Guard. And, young Greg Dempsey in a posed photograph for publicity purposes.

In her The Age newspaper article, “Melbourne People” about Gregory Dempsey on 26 May, 1981, journalist Susie Boisjoux relates an anecdote concerning those in his school who considered boys fell into one of two groups. That was as “crows” or “canaries”. The Crows played cricket and the Canaries sang. So, Gregory’s school teacher wanted to toughen up the boy who loved his music and the arts, which was considered “girly stuff”. So, he put Greg in with the Crows to see if he could sink or swim. He certainly swam and would end up at an elite level in association cricket!

From the Gilbert & Sullivan opera Iolanthe,Gregory Dempsey in an imperious pose as Earl Tolloller, and the principal cast for the opera Patience with Gregory second from the left in the role of Lieutenant, the Duke of Dunstable. Other members of the cast are unidentified for this c.1953 production. Sound recordings exist of this production in Greg’s own collection. Many of the cast of the Hawthorn Operatic Society did go on to achieve their own personal goals in music and the theatre.

Although it was a difficult time in the development of a child, who was powerless to be himself and follow his own interests, Greg took it all on board and as matters evolved, worked for him on all fronts. So, he played those criticisms by the young and ignorant name callers and those in positions of power by the book. He did all the “masculine” stuff as well as giving his best efforts to dance, piano practice and most importantly, voice. That fine line as a sports-loving and artistic fellow was his safety net. Both these pursuits, as it turned out made his voice stronger for the later professional singer and also enabled his lungs to really develop to be a powerhouse of strength vocally. It was essential for a tenor range in classical music. The constant thirst for knowledge and the involvement in many extra curricular subjects outside school hours really paid dividends. His confidence exuded and at eighteen years of age, as a member of the Youth Operatic Society (which became the Hawthorn Operatic Society in 1952) in the comic operas of Gilbert & Sullivan, Gregory really shone.  Here, he got great experience in theatrical music and that was the catalyst, which would take the youthful lad into a new and exciting world of the arts. It was in this very group that the up-and-coming Jim Murphy of the famed Murphy family, whose siblings were Peter and Mary, had started his own career in music and the arts. Jim would later become a writer, performer and critic in the world of film and the musical stage.

Gregory as Ralph Rackstraw on stage for HMS Pinafore and at right, with Hawthorn Operatic Society G&S vocal star, Elizabeth West.

But, I digress, because to be part of the “Crows” in his technical school days was to be a good cricket player. Development in this skill for Gregory was embracing this challenge and duly becoming an all-rounder participant. Joining the Collingwood Cricket Club after school days finished was a huge success and Greg went on to top levels. He was still playing outstanding cricket in the late 1950s for Collingwood Cricket Club and was in the premiership best team in the 1957-58 season for the Victorian Turf Cricket Association (VCTA). The physical fitness levels and the strong lung capacity required throughout his many sports gave Gregory the best power for the demanding roles that a tenor vocal range required and endurance to play such challenging roles night after night on an opera stage.

The Victorian Turf Cricket Association First Eleven Premiers of 1957-1958 was some achivement for Gregory Dempsey who was chosen as the best player from the Collingwood Cricket Club. The balance of the team is the best from the other association club members. In other words, it was the creme de la creme of the best from the top teams that particular year of the cricket summer season.

Greg Dempsey is in the back row, third from the left. The balance of cricket’s best VTCA Senior Division players are E. Calvert, F. Jungwirth, D. Johnston, A. Schrape, D. Kivell, R. McDermott, W. Driver, G. Pugh, K. Parker, J. Young and J. McDermott.

So, as you see, an adjunct to his sporting prowess, the artistic aspect of acting and singing grew with his performances with the Youth Operatic Society, and later Hawthorn Operatic Society, from 1949 onwards.

A photograph taken by Laurie Richards of Gregory Dempsey, and his dog Bernie resting on his shoulders. This news item in the press promoted Greg’s rise to fame in opera. At right, is a The Sun newspaper item describing Greg’s success in gaining a place at Sadler’s Wells Opera after being a boiler maker and truck driver. The other newspaper item is from an unidentified clipping in the Dempsey file collection.

From those early Hawthorn operetta days Gregory Dempsey, as the young man, became a cool and confident baritone, and with a change of piano accompanists, led him to further development of the vocal range into the tenor vocal range. All the sports work and swimming of his youth became the substance of strength in lungs and physical body development. Gregory even took up weight training which really gave extra power to the voice. And there was his cricket. The extra muscle as part of this training regime added a body physique for all sorts of roles in opera. These were the roles Gregory loved and his parents encouraged their son’s development, plus looking further at his employment in a day job as a young adult. This would ensure a regular income later, if a music career failed. It would be in a particular trade, as a boiler maker. However, the apprenticeship was curtailed after a short period of time as the fumes’ poisonous gases were detrimental to the young man’s lungs. So, the next role as far as day employment, was to be a truck driver. This was not dissimilar to the American tenor, Mario Lanza. The equally talented American shot to great fame in the 1950s in many Hollywood films, radio broadcasts and on his commercially made RCA-Victor records. Mario Lanza’s meteoric rise to fame, was extinguished with his sudden death in 1959. For our own star equivalent, Greg took a different path that led to the multi-talented Australian tenor strutting the stage across the globe in a stellar career that lasted for six decades.

At left, Greg as the young apprentice boiler maker. At right, with parents Gwen and Patrick Dempsey excited about their son who had just won the Lever Award First Prize in 1955. What joy! Another Laurie Richards photograph.

Gregory made few studio dates for gramophone recordings, but did lots of singing to live audiences, and sang countless radio broadcasts and television appearances. Many private acetate discs from Greg’s early years are in his personal library, as well as radio discs. The critics and opera audiences were appreciative of the strong believable acting and the powerhouse tenor vocal range. He was much adored for those skills, and his dedication to the art form along with a great personality, that other cast members loved. Yes, the young man had it all.

The photo on the left shows a young Gregory Dempsey meeting some female vocal contestants on Gladys Moncrieff’s Radio Show broadcast from the Brunswick Town Hall in October 1954. Everyone looks excited about meeting the young tenor. On the right, Greg is playing chords on the piano for the Mobil Quest contestant singers. The stars on the ascent are Miss Joan Arnold and Rosalie Brannigan, at the left of the photo.

In 1952, he made his first appearance on the radio program “Mobil Quest”. And successive appearances won out because Gregory became a finalist in the Mobil Quest season of 1956 in which Noel Melville was winner, Heather Begg, second finalist and Lawrence Lott was third. Gregory Dempsey who trained initially as baritone, made his debut as Don Ottavio in Don Giovanni with the National Opera of Victoria in 1954, also appearing as Turiddu in Cavalleria rusticana and Pedro in d’Albert’s Tiefland. In 1955 he won the £1,000 Lever Award (Radio award sponsored by Lever Brothers’ toiletries and kitchen and laundry products). In 1956 Greg was a grand finalist in the Mobil Quest. When the Elizabethan Trust Opera was formed in 1956 he took part in its season of four operas. The following season, he appeared in their productions of Tosca, La bohème and The Tales of Hoffmann. In the 1958 season he sang principal roles in Carmen, The Barber of Seville and Fidelio. He also became a permanent member of the chorus for the Channel GTV9 television singers. 1960 found him singing Monostatos in The Magic Flute, the First Jew in Salome, Goro in Madama Butterfly and Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi. During this season, Gregory Dempsey sang a small role in Dalgarie, and Beppe in matinee of Pagliacci, followed by Luigi in Il tabarro, and followed this replacing another tenor who took ill as Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi. This was in Adelaide in 1961. Four quite different roles, and all in one day!

In Perth, he sang in both operas in a double-bill as Mundit – an aborigine – in the 1962 premiere of the Australian opera Dalgerie, and followed with Beppe in Pagliacci after interval. These achievements and the introduction to many short-listed roles in opera in Australia opened up and Greg Dempsey was very much in demand. However, his appointment in England for the Sadler’s Wells Company drew the tenor to so many other parts of Europe and the USA, Canada and as far away as Iceland. These operas gave Greg much scope and opportunities to come.

The Grand Finalists for “Mobil Quest 1956”: Noel Melville 1st; Heather Begg, 2nd; Lawrence Lott, 3rd; along with Peter Campbell, Brian Hampstead, Patrick Skuse, Denise Thompson and Marie Bates. Greg Dempsey is second from the right in the picture. The names on the back of the photograph are not clear. The photo on the right shows Greg Dempsey posing with the Sun Aria winner of the 1954 season Cavell Armstrong. Photos by Laurie Richards.

His starring role with soprano Muriel Luyk for the Melbourne Moomba Season in March, 1956 was in Bizet’s Carmen. It was a sensational, abbreviated version with Roland Strong as the narrator, and Hector Crawford’s Australian Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. Plus, an equally strong, supporting cast. Local Melbourne radio station 3DB broadcast the production in an outside staged “Music For The People” spectacular. Decades later, the original acetate radio discs were discovered in Gregory’s home which were cared for by his mum, Mrs. Gwen Dempsey for many decades. The acetate sound discs were transferred to a digital medium by audio engineer, Jamie Kelly, and it is remarkable that these recordings were in such good order.

Gregory’s mother saved all and everything, and thank goodness. Gwen cared for the many gems made by her son and have now been preserved for posterity. Not only did Gwen have the one only recordings of Carmen, the original Victoria State Government printed program was given to the author by one of the sopranos in the chorus, Beverley Graham. As Gregory’s fortunes began to develop, radio and new television appearances became prevalent and Gregory was in demand for popular material as well as operetta favourites, which he sang on regular occasions with the soprano Aldene Splatt at GTV9’s Richmond television studios.

The above image shows the thrill on the faces of Muriel Luyk, Gregory and Hector Crawford in a promotional photograph (probably Laurie Richards) for the 1956 Music For the People Concert featuring opera Carmen (Bizet) and the actual program that was held by choral soprano, Beverley Graham.

To be continued

Gregory’s appearances on television included some significant performances and serious works, both in Australia and overseas. Here are some examples of his work. On the 26 August 1958 came an ABC television production screened on Sydney station ABN2 of the The Barber of Seville (Gioachino Rossini). Soprano Glenda Raymond, tenor, Donald Smith and the baritones Neil Warren-Smith and Robert Simmons. Ella Banner, Joseph Drewbiak and Alan Light were also in a star cast. The actual kinescope recording made of the broadcast was shown on Melbourne station ABV2 on 8 October 1958. This rare kinescope is believed to have been lost.

In 1969 Gregory sings his famed role in Peter Grimes (Benjamin Britten) for a tele-movie at the BBC. Peter Pears is the star, along with Gregory Dempsey as Bob Boles, and Owen Brannigan, Ann Robson, Heather Harper, Elizabeth Bainbridge, Bryan Drake, and with strong supporting cast. The director is Brian Large.

Greg Dempsey and Elizabeth Fretwell in the London Sadler’s Wells opera production of Peter Grimes (Benjamin Britten) had establised Gregory in the choice position of being offered great roles with the opportunity of most recent to the classic opera scores of the previous century. This kept his career on a steady roll.

Falstaff was staged in 1972 with story based on the William Shakespeare play, and directed by Basil Coleman. The producer is Cedric Messina. The libretto is by Arrigo Boito. Starring Geraint Evans, Regina Resnik, Norman Bailey, April Cantello, David Gwynne, Edward Byles, plus Gregory Dempsey as Dr. Caius. The musical conductor is James Lockhart who also directs the Ambrosian Singers.

Falstaff as television’s 1972 version with Gregory as star. The still frame from a surviving video is the best that can be expected.

A colour snap shot from the stage for another huge opera staged in 1974: Marilyn Horne and Thomas Edmonds share the limelight with Greg Dempsey in Leos Janacek production of The Adventures Of Mr. Broucek, a very modern story about a man who travels into space

These opera productions with more newly written content grew as Gregory got excellent reviews for his vocal work and convincing acting. For example, his many appearances in Cologne, West Germany in those days, included work with star mezzo-soprano Barbara Scherler, in the production of Ballad in Moor written by the ubiquitous composer, Richard Rodney Bennett. In English the opera was known as The Mines of Sulphur. The German newspapers at the time featured a good write up of the opera. This dates from 19 March 1968. Greg recalled the regular nightly performances with the tender love scenes. It was difficult because Fraulein Scherler had problems with simple nervousness on stage. So, it was a role to be tenderly played by the hot blooded Gregory, who did enjoy this kind of romantic role on the theatre stage. And, always classy performances by the young tenor.

A close up of the German mezzo-soprano who was most glamorous on stage is, like Gregory still enjoying life in their nineties. Barbara has many accolades for her operatic career and was born in 1933.

Richard Rodney Bennett’s quite diverse musical career embraced the full cross section of the arts. The photograph caption says ‘Zugebissen’ which translates as ‘bitten’ which may mean ‘smitten’?

But, returning to the ABC television station in Melbourne (ABV2). Management in the early transmission days of black and white TV in the late 1950s and early 1960s, had wanted to bring some more of the opera’s strong repertoire to their loyal and discerning viewers. So, Gregory was invited to appear in one of Giacomo Puccini’s operas Il tabarro (The Cloak) with soprano, Loris Synon. The Elizabethan Trust Opera Company also included star baritone Robert Allman and Joyce Simmonds in the gala production. The show was a huge success. Interestingly, some of the opera telecast survived in the ABC Archives in Sydney, and had been shown on YouTube, however, it’s been withdrawn in recent times. So, Gregory Dempsey who was a mere twenty-nine-year-old tenor and opera singer gave Il tabarro a performance which exuded the sexual tension and the natural strength of the voice for this demanding role. Some of his best and early work singing and acting on a free-to-air service provided by a government body for the telecast. Gregory’s absolutely powerful interpretation had the critics raving with excitement and huge praise. At this stage in Australia, Gregory John Dempsey had arrived. He was ready for the world.

The ABC television production of 1960 from the Elizabeth Trust Opera Company proved a to be winner with Loris Synon sharing the honours with Gregory and a star cast

This still frame from the video footage surviving gives us a glimpse

Still wanting to work in overseas theatres, an offer came from the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company in London in 1960. Gregory accepted their offer for when a role became available. In the interim, he worked at GTV9 Melbourne’s regular variety program In Melbourne Tonight television show in the Ron Rosenberg Choir. Ronnie had wanted a Norman Luboff style choir for the show which included popular song vocalists and trained classical voices which gave the chorus a very natural choral and unique style. The show produced many stars of the newer era of jazz, popular and classical who would get experience for their own careers later on. It was here that Ann Marie Smith, later Gregory’s wife, would be introduced, and other big names in opera, jazz and popular, such as Clifford Grant, Brian Curran, Murray Mardardy, Annette Klooger, Judy and sister Brenda Horan, Ray Collier, Betty Lys, Kevin Kidney, Audrey Duggan, Janice Taylor, Aldene Splatt and John Roberts started their careers.

Other singers at that time included members of the Four Debs and the Dominoes, Judy Pummeroy, Kevin Kidney, Pauline and Betty Lys, Des and Kevin Jolly, Kathy Danaher, Neil Upfield, Pam Fletcher, Patti McGrath (later Mrs. Bert Newton), Frank Wilson, Dorothy Baker, Jimmy Hannan, Reg Gray, Robyn Alvarez and so many others who would have had their beginnings at GTV9 in Melbourne.

Gregory Dempsey had emerged as a star player, and sat in the GTV9 entourage high in its list of world class acts. Just think of it, GTV9 had them all, and HSV7 had their all-stars mainly of the Tivoli theatre circuit, and the ABC in their Ripponlea address, sometimes shared some of them, but certainly not all of these variety acts. Imagine, the Nine network of the time, had the best appraisal and hired the talents of Bill McCormack, Alan Dean, Clifford Grant, Greg Dempsey, Noel Ferrier, Peter Smith, Bert Newton and, the best compere of all the television night shows, Graham Kennedy. There were so many others too, for their highly successful tonight shows. This was quite a feat, and such entertainment five nights a week, comedy, music, theatre and all the guests visiting from overseas. But then, it was back over sixty years ago, well before the decay of popular music and the dumbing down of popular culture art forms.

The GTV9 Singers arranged by Ron Rosenberg in 1965 is back row, left to right: Ray Collier, Brenda and Judy Horan, Murray Mardardy. Front, left to right: Brian Curran, Anne Marie Smith (later Mrs. Dempsey), Audrey Duggan and Allen Russen. The grouping were part of a larger choral ensemble produced of mixed voices at the Melbourne television studios during the 1960’s. The vocal group could be as many as 16 people.

The telegram sent to Greg Dempsey in 1962 from the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company inviting him to join the ensemble for the season commencing in 1962 and 1963. Starting with the popular The Bartered Bride (Bedrich Smetana)

In 1962, Gregory moved to London to take up his contract with the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company, and really got excellent reviews. This was his main UK base for the next fifteen years. His roles there and at the Coliseum included Tom Rakewell, Peter Grimes, Jimmy Mahoney, Albert Gregor, Skuratov, Don José, Erik, David, Mime (Das Rhinegold and Siegfried) and the Shepherd in King Roger. He created the role of Boconnion in Richard Rodney Bennett’s The Mines of Sulphur after which one critic wrote ‘an heroic-villainous part of formidable challenge’. Greg Dempsey appeared as Dionysus in the British premiere of Henze’s The Bassarids and the title role in the first British staging of The Adventures of Mr Brouček.

An admission ticket to the BBC radio show which Gregory attended as a guest upon his arrival in London in 1962. Kenneth Horne was the host.

Gregory’s extensive career in many operas in the United Kingdom did present some excellent offerings. Such was, The Mines Of Sulphur (Richard Rodney Bennett) with star soprano Joyce Blackham as Rosaline and Greg as Boconnion. This proved to be a huge success during season of April, 1965 for the Sadler’s Wells Opera. And of course, in German language in Cologne during 1968 as Ballad im Moor with Barbara Scherler.

For the Sadler’s Wells Opera Company in August 1964 Gregory starred with soprano Elizabeth Robson for this superb production in The Bartered Bride (Bedrich Smetana)

From his first year in 1962 in the United Kingdom Gregory also worked for the Scottish Opera, in roles including Britten’s Albert Herring, Quint and Lysander, as well as Florestan, Aeneas in The Trojans, David and Števa, returning as the Drum Major.

As his frequency of work increased throughout the 1960s, the time for romance had an opportunity to appear. Young Anne Marie Smith had arrived to survey the scene in London and take in the opportunities for singing. Also, at this time, soprano Janice Taylor arrived to find work. Greg knew both from the GTV9 television days and he was delighted they had asked his opinions to see what the arts scene had to offer. Over a period of time, Gregory and Anne really enjoyed each other’s private lives and the love match blossomed into a serious affair. They lived together in their own apartment in London, and married on 26 April 1972. This love affair lasted for fifty years till Anne’s death in 2020.

Later, with the Scottish Opera, Greg created the role of Bothwell in Musgrave’s Mary, Queen of Scots in 1977. He made his Covent Garden debut in 1972 as Števa, returning as the Drum Major in Wozzeck.

The London apartment which Gregory and Anne Marie Smith shared together was their home base in inner city. The comforts of their lives back in Australia which also included the much needed hydronic heating to keep their throats nice and free from the chills in British winters. Their guest enjoying the festive and salubrious mood is Australian soprano Janice Taylor.

All three had known each other at the television studios of GTV9 and the year is 1973. Gregory had been busy from his arrival in 1962 throughout the entire decade. Non stop!

To be continued

In the USA, he appeared in San Francisco from 1966, as Albert Gregor and Tom Rakewell. He returned to Sydney to become a member of Opera Australia singing David in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, Herman in Queen of Spades, Dimitri in Boris Godunov, Jimmy in The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Mime in both Das Rheingold and Siegfried, Trin in La fanciulla del West, Valzacchi in Der Rosenkavalier and Bob Boles in Peter Grimes.

The Mastersingers of Nuremberg in English, was a particular Wagnerian favourite for Greg Dempsey as he performed the role in many countries and his dancing came to the forefront again. The staged version here is from black and white photographs colourised by Emil Wallner’s company ‘Palette FM’ in France. It gives a glimpse of the comic opera of the nineteenth century what it might have looked like on the operatic stage back then.

In various productions, Greg plays the part of David. The Scottish National Opera featured this production with Walter Albert Remedios (right side of stage) and in another production that role was played by Norman Bailey.

Above, is a newspaper item by Maria Prerauer reviewing the recent news of opera performances in Australia. It mentions the Janacek opera Katya Kabanova which stars Marilyn Richardson and Gregory’s performance. It pays complimentary remarks to Greg and mentions his appeal in the previous opera he starred in of The Mastersingers of Nuremberg in the role as David. At right, is photograph from the opera Rake’s Progress which was staged in America as well as for the San Francisco Opera in 1970.

Another sensational photograph of the master actor and tenor of his time. Greg is dancing with the prisoner irons that were put on convicts to allay their escape. Not only did the photographer capture the action hero and tenor in full flight, but Greg sang and danced his way through this difficult performance with those steel shackles as part of his costume for a role that was most demanding and one which challenged his abilities to the fullest. The opera was The House Of The Dead (Leos Janacek) and the darkened themes certainly matched the expectations of the opera followers of the time. Confronting and certainly a performance that shone by the great Gregory John Dempsey OAM.

When Gregory and Anne returned to Australia in the late 1970s, the local opera production companies invited Greg to appear in some of their gala and much loved operas, alongside some of the very contemporary operas of the middle twentieth century. It also drew upon more crowd pleaser roles in the musical productions in a lighter vein. But a rather disturbing situation arose for Gregory in the health stakes. In 1980, he had started to lose his hair and then, it was obvious he was suffering from a condition known as alopecia areata, which has no cure. All his body hair fell out. As devastating as that was for a man in his fifties, for the opera stage the use of wigs was de rigeurand Gregory embraced the situation with all the positives.

During this time Gregory decided to change management and chose to use Jenifer Eddy Arts Management which improved the quality of offers made for his services. Gregory still remains friends with Jenifer and meets on occasions for socialising.

Greg’s wife Anne had decided to diversify her role in their musical family during the 1980s and commenced studies for a psychology degree which she graduated from in 1989 as a clinical psychologist. Greg’s music career continued unabated.

From the years of the late 1980s into the 1990s come two interesting colour photographs. At left is, Anne Dempsey with her degree certificate after graduating in psychology on 5 March 1989. It was in the early part of the 1980s Gregory lost his hair but then, he sports the look to his advantage as actor Yul Brynner did in the film capitol of USA in Hollywood. At right, the photograph with Gregory Dempsey and the Governor of Victoria, Sir James Gobbo AC, CVO, QC. (1997-2000) congratulating the operatic tenor when being honoured for his Order of Australia medal (OAM) to the arts and services in this country in 1998.

With the Victoria State Opera Gregory sang Nero in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria, The Magician in The Consul, Monostatos in The Magic Flute, Benoît and Alcindoro in La bohème, Incredible in Andrea Chenier, Prince Populescu in Countess Maritza, Ajax l in La belle Hélène, Jamie in My Fair Lady and Borsa in Rigoletto. With the Adelaide Festival, he was seen as Nero in L’incoronazione di Poppea, Mark in The Midsummer Marriage, Gregor in The Makropulos Case, Zinoviy Borisovich Izmailov in Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and The Adventures of Mr. Brouček. His clear, perfectly tuned tenor voice was suited to a plethora of different repertoire and styles. From Monteverdi to the most difficult contemporary musical compositions, Gregory Dempsey made them relevant to every audience he sang to.

Of note, Gregory made few recordings, but they are worthwhile souvenirs. Firstly, in 1967, he sang Red Whiskers in Britten’s studio recording of Billy Budd. The following year he sang one of his best roles, David in The Mastersingers, at Sadler’s Wells under Sir Reginald Goodall, and a live recording of that has now been released on CD, as have discs of their Ring cycle. Another recording of the same opera was privately made from the BBC FM broadcast in Scotland later that year. Gregory had a copy given to him by the original BBC engineer some years ago. There is also a DVD of Britten’s famous studio version of Peter Grimesfrom 1969, in which he plays Bob Boles. Interestingly, many of Gregory’s early radio appearances from Teenage Talent and Mobil Quest have been saved from the substantial Clark Sinclair Library which Jamie Kelly is now custodian.

Brian Castles-Onion AM with Greg Dempsey at his Brighton town house home in 2022.

Jacques Offenbach’s opera La Belle Helene posing in the costuming as Achilles Heel in the late 1980s. Interestingly, in the cast was the young Geraldine Turner, in the title role as Helene. She later married the conductor for Opera Australia. That being, the one and only Brian Castles-Onion AM.

Another great performance given by Gregory in Albert Herring (Benjamin Britten) in 1967 at Toronto, Canada. Audiences and the cast members alike enjoyed the man in the white suit who played the part of a greengrocer in the comic opera. Greg sang in six seasons of the same opera for the Scottish National Opera.

Gregory Dempsey in one of his later roles as reviewed by the news press in 1987 when he played the role of the Emperor in the Giacomo Puccini opera Turandot. A small part, but added to the Victoria State Opera prestige of the season being a sure fire success, both artistically and financially.

This photograph is in Greg’s ‘Kia Ora Teenage Talent’ days with Uncle Doug Elliot at 3KZ. Greg is in the back row, on the left, next to Ray Melling. Front row: far left is Beryl Power (nee Pearce) and Loris Ramskill, Wilma Martin and Ron Cadee, far right. The backbone of a radio program that did excel at the forefront of adult entertainment in those heady days of listening to the radio.

Poster for Albert Herring (Benjamin Britten) in modern times

Newspaper review

Victoria State Opera Turandot 1987 season: 

Roles in Scotland 1962-1978

Monostatos a servant in the Temple Zauberflöte 1962

Jeník Micha's son by his first wife Bartered Bride 1962

Bob Boles fisherman and Methodist Peter Grimes 1964

Boconnion a deserter Mines of Sulphur 1965

Albert Herring from the greengrocer's Albert Herring 1966

Albert Herring 1967; Albert Herring 1968; Albert Herring 1969

Albert Herring 1970; Albert Herring 1971

Tom Rakewell a young gentleman engaged to Anne Rake's Progress 1969

Florestan a Spanish nobleman Fidelio 1970

Peter Quint a former manservant Turn of the Screw 1970

Turn of the Screw 1971

Aeneas a Trojan commander, son of Venus and Anchises (Énée) Trojans 1972

Lysander in love with Hermia Midsummer Night's Dream 1972

Midsummer Night's Dream 1973

David apprentice to Sachs Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1976

Mastersingers of Nuremberg 1977

Mime a Nibelung, Siegfried's fosterer Siegfried 1976

Mime a Nibelung, Alberich's brother Rheingold 1976

James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell Mary, Queen of Scots 1977

Števa Buryja Jenůfa 1977

Jenůfa 1978

Witch Hansel and Gretel 1978 

A final look at the star in action with one of his favourite Australian opera singers, Marie Collier, whom Gregory enjoyed working in many roles during their careers. She was also a favourite of Australian pianist Geoffrey Tozer, with whom he knew of in the UK. Her tragic death left her fans heartbroken, and the opera world short of a popular performer. The opera is Macropulos Case (Leos Janacek) with Marie Collier as Emilia Marty and Gregory as Albert Gregor and staged during 1965. Above right, is a photograph from the 1988 Victoria State Opera Production of My Fair Lady (Alan J. Lerner & Frederick Loewe) with Noel Ferrier as one of his supporting actors in a celebrated star cast.

Thanks You All

CREDITS and my sincere thanks to those who assisted me in this project.

Firstly, Gregory John Dempsey OAM. Plus, Mrs. Gwen Dempsey, of course!!

Brian Castles-Onion AM, Frank Van Straten AM, Pete Smith OAM, Beryl Power (nee Pearce), Jamie Kelly, Peter Burgis OAM, Judy Kidney (nee Pummeroy), Clark Sinclair MBE, Ken Boness, Errol Rowe, Ian Dodds, Alan Roper, Clark Sinclair MBE, Vicki Charleston (nee Battle), Roger Beilby, Ted McConville, plus Emil Wallner, ‘Palette FM’. There will be others, alas, whom I have forgotten. And, several of the above are no longer with us.

A few other curio items. Top left, has Gregory shaking hands with dignitaries and receiving a gift at a special award winning night for 1955 Sun Aria winner, Leonard Delaney. Gregory is impeccibly dressing in tails. Above, is an Artist Management reference letter in draft form by Jenifer Eddy after she took over Gregory’s opera career management in 1980.

Below, is a colour snapshot with Jean Marks who performed a duet with Greg in the opera Cavalleria rusticana. Wife, Anne Marie is in the middle, eyes closed due to photographer’s camera flashlight glare. At right, Jan Ross from the days at the Hawthorn Opera Society in the Gilbert and Sullivan production of Iolanthe. Days with great pals and great fun. Lifetime’s treasured memories recalled just like yesterday.