Historical information

Dame Nellie Melba, born Helen Porter Mitchell (1861-1931), was the first Australian to gain international fame as an opera singer and one of the best-known singers in late Victorian times. She took the name ‘Melba’ from her home town, Melbourne. She sang in Warrnambool on at least two occasions, staying at local homes, including ‘Summer Hill’, belonging to the Murray family and ‘Lyndoch’ as the guest of Florence Lake. In 1927 she sang at the Warrnambool Town Hall with three other assisting artists and this programme records that event. The Warnambool and District Historical Society has an evening bag that was given by Nellie Melba to Miss O’Donnell, a maid at ‘Lyndoch’ at that time.

Significance

This programme is of considerable significance as it is a memento of the occasion in 1927 when the famous Australian opera singer sang at the Warrnambool Town Hall during her farewell tour.

Physical description

This is a cream-coloured sheet of paper folded into two to make four pages. The front cover has a decorative border and blue printing and a Warrnambool & District Historical Society stamp and the back cover has an advertisement. The middle pages contain blue printing. The folds are torn in parts.

Inscriptions & markings

Dame Nellie Melba's Farewell Tour