Tamara Osicka, a sound archivist from the National Film and Sound Archive is looking for information on this fascinating long time resident of Leichhardt. Stuart Booty was a film-maker, inventor, electrical engineer, electrotherapist, radiologist and a pioneer of Australia’s sound recording industry.
Photo 1 Stuart Booty c1925 with one of the gramophones he made, a Vitavox Model A (Courtesy National Film and Sound Archive)
Photo 2 A Vitavox record made in 1951 (Courtesy National Film and Sound Archive)
Stuart and his wife Edith Booty lived at 284 and 286 Elswick Street Leichardt from 1926 until they both passed away in 1971. Stuart ran his business, Vitavox Records, for which he manufactured and sold Vitavox gramophones from the premises from 1926 – 1928. He also operated a recording studio where singers, choirs and musicians would come to make records from 1926 – 1963. Stuart and Edith also ran a Electro-therapy and X-ray business from their home.
Tamara was recently interviewed by ABC radio about Stuart Booty (click on the link below to listen to the interview)
Unccovering the story of sound pioneer Stuart Booty of Leichhardt.
Tamara would love to hear from anyone who knew of Stuart and Edith Booty, have a Vitavox gramophone or who know of any surviving recordings made by Stuart. She would also be interested in talking to anyone who knew their good friends Sid and Enid, Patricia Muriel Bray or Jessie Smith, who was a long time employee of theirs. Please contact Tamara by email at : tamara.osicka@nfsa.gov.au
John Barnes
PRESIDENT – ‘NEW ITALY’
25 FEBRUARY 2015
‘THE NEW ITALY STORY’
6.45pm for 7.15pm start
Palace Cinemas, cinema #1, 99 Norton St, Leichhardt, NSW Australia
The words turmoil, tragedy and triumph aptly describe the eventful saga of 340 Italians who were enticed to a fictional paradise in the South Pacific Islands in 1880. Extreme privations were their lot until they eventually reached sanctuary in Sydney. Shortly afterwards the 217 survivors largely moved as a group to Northern NSW where they carved a living and established a village (New Italy) in isolated virgin bush and on poor soils.
As they adapted to the harsh conditions of Australia, their story of ingenuity, thrift and perseverance along with eventual success, became both legendary and inspirational.
Hear their story with a supporting slide show from one of their descendants who is president of the New Italy Museum Inc. – a body entrusted with the preservation and promotion of the story and the display of Italian culture on the site of the original settlement.
Entry fee is $5.00 at the door
RSVP by 20th February coasit@ifhg.org
click here to contact us
Balmain working class hero and Labor legend Tom Uren dies a national icon on Australia Day.
This Political Giant who is locally and nationally celebrated will remain as an important part of our Australian History. The different stages of Tom’s almost 94 years covered so much of the Australian experience – soldier, heavyweight boxer, prisoner of war, parliamentarian, anti-war activist, Minister, environmentalist, and humanitarian of the highest order.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-26/tom-uren-former-whitlam-minister-dead/6046340
Mayor Darcy Byrne, Tom Uren and Cr Linda Kelly- Balmain Library
Tom Uren
