Bert Levy – Australia's first global Vaudeville star
Bert arrives in Bendigo……….
Bizarrely Bert chose to travel to Bendigo on Saturday December 30, 1899. (a fairly momentous week in the young Colony as it heralded a new century) He may been fronting for a job interview before the key people went on an extended New Year holiday ? It looks like he traveled alone, possibly leaving Harriet and Alwyn (now 4) with family in Melbourne. His arrival in Bendigo was not without incident.
Bendigo Advertiser report on New Years day. Rival newspaper, the Bendigo Independent considered the consequences of the accident somewhat differently. Photo from the Newport historic train museum collection. May be the wrong era of carriage but we have all travelled in something like this over the years.
A couple of weeks later the news got back to Sydney, with a slight variation on where the incident took place. Not sure the train to Bendigo from Melbourne went through Albury. !! You can never trust Sydney media!
Town and Country Newspaper, Sydney.
Who was the man who possibly saved Bert’s life or at the least, dressed his wound. Kangaroo Flat lad, Corporal Peter Fox. He was actually James Peter Fox.
Bendigo Advertiser Here he is, before he sailed for his second stint in Boer War in South Africa with the 2nd Victorian Mounted Rifles in February 1902. He had already served over there for 17 months and was on leave, returning to Bendigo when he attended Bert’s wound. Being a saddler may have also aided some good stitching work if required on Bert’s wound. Small world. Bert was the editor of the ‘Bendigonian Supplement’ just prior to this. Unfortunately the Bendigonian at this time has not been digitised by Trove so photo can’t be shown, yet.
Bert Levy 
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