34 Facts About George Coppin

George Selth Coppin was a comic actor, a theatrical entrepreneur, a politician and a philanthropist, active in Australia.

George Coppin's grandfather had been a well-known clergyman at Norwich.

George Selth Coppin Senior studied for the medical profession, but abandoned this to join a group of travelling actors.

George Coppin Junior became an assistant in his father's company; George and his sister performed their own act by 1826.

At the age of 18 Coppin had an engagement at the Woolwich theatre, and soon afterwards was playing at Richmond, where he became low comedian at a salary of twenty-five shillings a week.

George Coppin next obtained an engagement at the Queen's Theatre, London, and in subsequent years played as first low comedian in the provinces and at Abbey Street theatre, Dublin, where he had a long acting engagement.

George Coppin decided to leave England in search of other opportunities; a coin toss meant he sailed for Australia, not America, towards the end of 1842, arriving in Sydney on 10 March 1843.

George Coppin negotiated with Joseph Wyatt and had a successful season at the Royal Victoria Theatre.

George Coppin bought a hotel but, being quite inexperienced, lost his money and went to Hobart, Tasmania in January 1845.

George Coppin subsequently played a variety of parts including Sir Peter Teazle, Jacques Strop in Robert Macaire, Jemmy Twitcher in The Golden Farmer, Don Caesar in Don Caesar de Bazan and many others in forgotten plays.

In 1848 George Coppin transferred the management of the theatre to John Lazar.

Around 1850 George Coppin built Semaphore Hotel and the "White Horse Cellars", an hotel and theatre in Port Adelaide, later owned by William Knapman.

George Coppin suffered losses in his copper-mining investments and with the exodus of his hotel and playhouse patrons to the Victorian diggings, he became insolvent.

Still in 1853, George Coppin visited England where he acted in the provinces.

In July 1855 George Coppin was playing Colonel Damas with him in The Lady of Lyons, and about this time they became partners.

The partnership of Brooks and George Coppin was dissolved in 1859 and George Coppin, having become security for a large sum in connection with the Melbourne and Suburban railway, was in financial difficulties again.

George Coppin initially made his reputation as an actor but, after he had been a few years in Australia, management took up increasing amounts of his time.

George Coppin was a comedian, who starred in parts like Paul Pry, Bob Acres, and Lancelot Gobbo.

George Coppin played Aminadab Sleek in The Serious Family, Mawworm in The Hypocrite and Tony Lumpkin.

In 1864 George Coppin again lost his money and went to the United States.

George Coppin joined Harwood, Stewart, Hennings and Bellair in the management of the Theatre Royal chain, and, although they lost heavily at times, Coppin's record from this point is one of increasing prosperity.

In 1869 George Coppin spearheaded The Old Colonists' Association of Victoria, which received a government grant of land in North Fitzroy for the establishment of safe, dignified, affordable housing for needy early settlers at a time when there was no social welfare system of any kind.

In 1869 George Coppin purchased the property "Invergowrie" in Hawthorn in Melbourne's inner east, and soon subdivided the large landholdings, establishing two streets through the area, namely George Coppin Grove and Shakespeare Grove.

George Coppin was a very senior leader within Freemasonry and a pioneer on many levels.

George Coppin was an active Freemason from his stay in Adelaide until his death.

George Coppin played a key role in the formation of the Grand Lodge of Victoria in 1883, of which he became the first Grand Master.

George Coppin was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for East Melbourne in May 1874 and did useful work; for example, he established post office savings banks.

George Coppin was opposed to the payment of members of Parliament, and when the act passed to pay them, he gave his salary to charities.

George Coppin retired from theatrical management on 28 June 1882, but remained a member of the Legislative Assembly until losing his seat in March 1889.

George Coppin took an interest in the development of Sorrento, Victoria where he had a seaside home, and kept up his connection with the Old Colonists' Association, the Victorian Humane Society, Gordon House, the St John's Ambulance Service, the Australasian Dramatic and Musical Association, and other institutions.

George Coppin was the first to suggest the value of camels for the Australian interior.

George Coppin died early in the morning of 14 March 1906, aged 86.

George Coppin was married twice, firstly in August 1855 to Harriet Hilsden nee Bray, and then on 4 June 1861 to her daughter Lucy Hilsden, who survived him with their two sons and five daughters.

George Coppin is there described as "Philanthropist and Father of the Theatre in Victoria".