The White Hat Guide to George Coppin

George Coppin
Actor, entrepreneur, politician, philanthropist
8 April 1819—14 March 1906

This short article was first published under the title A Chance Encounter in our Melbourne Newsletter No.180.

I was making way along Lonsdale Street and noticed the new show being bumped into the stage door of The Comedy.

“We didn’t ship in the sets – made them in the theatre.” said the voice behind me. “The only thing I shipped in was the theatre itself”, he said. I turned around and there was the unmistakable figure of George Coppin.

“Of course you had to ship it in” I said. “You didn’t know if anyone would hire you a theatre after you had gone bankrupt”.
“Bankrupt a number of times and always paid 20 shillings in the pound and better once I he earned the money again” he said.
“Of course you could always go back to what you did best – comic acting” I said.
“That’s not what I did best” he said. “It’s what I did to earn money for what I did best. Never confuse the two. And what sort of sad state would the colony be in if you pilloried everyone who went broke by having a go? You would have precious few philanthropists left to help those who are having a rough trot. Besides, I thought if the bishop could bring in a prefabricated iron church I could bring in an iron theatre.”
“Ah yes – The Olympic” I say “but most people called it the Iron Pot”.
“Well my shows were so successful I was soon able to tell them my pot boileth over. What’s the new show?” he asked.
“The Woman in Black” I say.
“That’s a pretty ordinary title – it will never sell. All women wear black – except for the ones in Little Lon.”
“Not nowadays Mr Coppin” I say “except for those working in the city. They still always wear black.”
“Look at that poor girl there” he says. She has barely been able to haul together enough rags to cover the essentials. Thank goodness I built Our Lodgings for such poor wretches.”
“She chooses to dress like that – it’s the current fashion” I tell him “and unfortunately Our Lodgings didn’t work out.”

“Got to keep going. Things to do, my lad, things to do”.
“Good night Mr Coppin” I say.

I haven’t the heart to tell him that most school children will never be told of his contribution to Melbourne. Most will never know of his early equivalent to Disneyland in Melbourne called Cremorne Gardens and very will few will stumble across the privately funded retirement village he set up in Clifton Hill called Rushall Gardens or recognise the other examples of philanthropy initiated by this remarkable man. I watch him disappearing into the distance.

“Break a leg” I say and add a quiet “sir”.

Some philanthropy-related links on this site

'Mac' Robertson
Alfred Felton
Caroline Chisholm
Clarke Family
Dame Elisabeth Murdoch
Dick Smith
Francis Ormond
George & Annis Bills
George Coppin
Hugo Wertheim
John & Sunday Reid
Kerry Packer
Lindsay Fox
Louise Hanson-Dyer
Richard Pratt
Russell Grimwade
Sidney Myer
Sir Ian Potter
Sir Ian Potter
Sir John Holland
The Smorgon Family
Walter & Eliza Hall