Silvers Circus

Silver's Circus, the original, was an (Australian) circus started by Mervyn King along with tentmakers, David Hardie Snr. and his two sons Les and David Jnr.

Silver's Circus
Silver's Circus Ticket Office truck 1950's.
Origin
CountryAustralia
Founder(s)Mervyn King
David Hardie Snr
Les King
David Jnr King
Year founded1946 to 1953 (Mervyn King)
1953 - 1976 (??)
1976 - Present ( Anton and Anna Gasser as Silvers Grand Magic Circus)
Information
Traveling show?Yes
Websitewww.silverscircus.com.au

History

King, an orphan, was given to St. Leons Circus at the age of seven. He spent his entire life performing in the ring and became one of the Australian Circus' best known animal trainers and acrobats. He started Silver's circus in 1946 by breaking in a first class lion act, buying and training show horses, surplus army tents and other equipment. It became one of the most well organised best looking and popular circuses in the country. It also was the first to cross the Nullarbor by road, then a corrugated dirt track full of potholes and bulldust. King changed his stage name to Alwyn Silver to reflect the circus.[1] King sold Silver's in 1953, admitting later the sale was premature since TV didn't make much of an impact on Australian rural life until well into the 1960s. He saw television as a threat. Mervyn King had two sons. He died in 2003 at age 96.[2][3]

Although it's not the original circus, the name Silver's Circus still travels Australia. It is run by Anton and Anna Gasser and has been since 1976.[4]

In 1976 Anton & Anna continued Silvers Circus in Australia. Their 3 children Tony, Rosita & Dominik have all followed in the family's footsteps to become Circus Artists.[5] A two-hour TV spectacular was filmed in Sydney and was viewed by European and American audiences. Silvers was voted as "One of the best Ten Circuses in the world" in 1982. With artists continually arriving from all parts of the world, Silvers are proud of the ever-changing program they are able to present. Rosita & Dominik, along with their parents, still currently perform & direct Silvers Circus whilst their eldest son Tony & his wife Debbie run a company called Unique Attractions.

Ross Skiffington was the creator, writer, director & ringmaster of Silver's Grand Magic Circus.Gordon Arnie set designer. Wendy Dalton, Sue McCrohon and Bruce Wood assistant dancers. A Theatrical Presentation of Grand Illusions in a circus environment that played to more than 150,000 in 10 months. Toured Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales and South Australia. Continues to this day.[6]

References
  1. "NOTICE is hereby given that the firm of Silver's Circus is". Government Gazette Of The State Of New South Wales (182). New South Wales, Australia. 1 December 1950. p. 3558. Retrieved 14 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. Master showman of the big top, 17 May 2003, smh.com.au
  3. [Biographical cuttings on Mervyn King, proprietor of Silver's Circus, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals], 1900, retrieved 14 December 2018
  4. [Silvers Grand Magic Circus : programs and related material collected by the National Library of Australia], 1900, retrieved 14 December 2018, ...Silver's Circus was originally began by Mervyn King in around 1946 along with tentmakers, David Hardie Snr. and his two sons Les and David Jnr. King. King changed his stage name to Alwyn Silver to reflect the name of the circus, and sold the circus in 1953. In 1976 the circus was re-established by Anton and Anna Gasser as Silvers Grand Magic Circus...
  5. "That daring young girl." The Canberra Times. 60 (18, 251). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 19 September 1985. p. 1. Retrieved 14 December 2018 – via National Library of Australia. ,...Rosita Gasser is a poised, gracious trapeze artiste who accepts compliments with aplomb. She is eight years old. She is a sixth-generation circus performer from both sides of her family, works with Silvers Circus, which is owned by her parents Anton and Anna...
  6. Ross Skiffington Biography Archived version

Further reading
  • King, Mervyn, 1908-2003; St. Leon, Mark, 1952- (1990), The silver road : the life of Mervyn King, circus man / as told to Mark St Leon, Butterfly BooksCS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Spear, Diana; Spear, George (1960), Circus down under / Diana and George Spear, Hammond, Hammond

See also
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