Entertainment has seen numerous changes over the years, but long before the era of the internet and online movie streaming, many people would remember the excitement of going to the theatre on a Friday night.

Gympie Musical Union- “Wild Violets” performance (1956)

Pictured: (from left): Dick Jones and Janice Girdler, Gordon Plate and Paula Cross, Colin Woodrow and Gwynneth Groundwater, Anne Stanley (standing). Orchestra: Johnny Cross (Trumpet), Noel Dwyer (Trumpet), Les Davies (Percussion). Photograph source: Gympie Library- Local History Room (donation)

Gympie was fortunate enough to have its very own theatre company called “The Gympie Musical Union”, formed in 1947.  The aim of the Musical Union was to “nourish the artist present … in every person” (Lomas, 1977), which director Brian Goldburg certainly accomplished. By the time the Gympie Civic Centre opened in 1977, the Musical Union had already presented over sixty stage shows. Some of the standout performances included “Trial by Jury” (1947), “Pirates of Penzance” (1954), “Toad of Toad Hall” (1955), “Quaker Girl (1955), “Wild Violets” (1956), “Salad days” (1966), “Desert Song” (1974) and the “Sound of Music” (1985).

Gympie Musical Union- “Quaker Girl” performance (1955)

Pictured: (at left from the bottom of the old town hall staircase)– Kay Geldard, Jill Harrys, Daphne Pratt, Noela White, Lindsay Thomas, Lil Suthers. Centre– Dick Jones, Marcia Runge (nee Bradley), Lexie Miers, Mary Brown. Right– Barbara (or Jan) Rackemann, Jan Girdler, Joan Soaney, Irene Peepall, Elsie Graham, Eva Sharp, Noela Doherty, Fay Biddle and others. Photograph source: Gympie Library- Local History Room (donation)

Margot Goldburg (Brian Goldburg’s wife) commented in a Gympie Times article (2006) that “in the early years, going to Musical Union was an outing and people came in droves.” When asked about her favourite show, she said, “Brian would say Sound of Music; some musicals such as Sound of Music, Oklahoma and South Pacific were performed more than once over the years because they were so popular.” 

Gympie Musical Union- “Quaker Girl” performance (1955)

Pictured: (from left): Dick Jones, Brian Goldburg, Irene Peepall, Kath Bradley. Photograph source: Gympie Library- Local History Room (donation)

The Musical Union ended in 2005. However, even after his retirement, Brian Goldburg continued to teach singing privately to students until June 2010. His efforts were rewarded with a Telstra Cultural Award in 1985, a lifetime membership to the Gympie Eisteddfod in 2004 and an Order of Australia Medal in 2007 (Gough, 2011).  

Despite Margot stating in a Gympie Times article (2006), that she and Brian were unaware of their tremendous input into Gympie’s cultural history, it’s very clear that their many musical triumphs and contributions to the region’s performing arts sector will always be remembered.

Gympie Musical Union- “The Pirates of Penzance” performance (1954)

Pictured: Eric Groundwater as the Pirate King. Photograph source: Gympie Library- Local History Room (donation)

Gympie Musical Union- “The Pirates of Penzance” performance (1954)

Pictured: Eric Groundwater as the Pirate King and other Gympie Musical Union performers. Photograph source: Gympie Library- Local History Room (donation)

Reference List:

• Gough, Anthony. (2011). In tune with his home town. The Courier Mail. Monday 21st of March.
• Lomas, Donna. (1977). Gympie Civic Centre Official Souvenir. Gympie: Gympie Times Pty Ltd. p.20.
• Love and Music article (2006). The Gympie Times. Friday 29^th of December 2006.p.9.