However, he certainly featured legerdemain throughout his career; and given Osborne’s extensive travels, convict heritage and connection to early Sydney Theatre, a partial overview of his life (1) makes for an interesting insight into the highs and lows of an itinerant actor and comedian in the mid-1800s.

Looking at earlier records from the Old Bailey, (2) there is a charge of simple larceny against a James Osborne on April 3, 1837, but it is not clearly the same person. The more likely charge comes on November 28, 1842 where a James Osborne, “Aged 15” was charged, with another young man, with simple larceny,  the theft of a piece of bacon. Osborne was found guilty, confined for eight days, and whipped twice.

Osborne arrived as a convict in Van Diemen’s Land (Tasmania) on June 17,  1845 in the Mount Stewart Elphinstone, which departed from London March 7.

His official conduct record (3) shows that Osborne was a Protestant, a Clerk and Labourer by trade, in good health and able to read and write. He was nearly six feet in height with brown hair and eyes, of ‘native place’ at Limehouse ( a docklands area in the East End of London). He must have been well behaved as there are only two entries in his conduct record, both occurring after he had received his Ticket of Leave on June 28, 1845. On April 1, 1846 he had represented himself as a free man, and on August 11 was caught out after hours, performing at “the theatre”.   Finally, at the end of November 1847, only four years after being sentenced, Robert Osborne was granted a Pardon (4) on condition that he not return or be found within the United Kingdom.

Later in the same month he made probably his acting debut in a play at the Olympic called “The Deserter”, in which he played the principal role of Adelbert, and the press stated (5) “… was ably sustained by Osborne, who is likely to become a favorite … Osborne’s comic singing told with the audience, however we prefer his acting, and a little more experience will, as we said, make him a useful performer.” This appearance is notable for the fact that John Powell Courtier , ex-convict turned “Fire King and Necromancer” was also acting in the show, due to a shortage of male actors. On the same bill, as well, was Monsieur Risley, who introduced to Australia the acrobatic skill in which a performer juggles objects or other people with their feet, while lying down. His close association with both magic and circus provides the clue as to where he may have learned some of his skills and made contacts which would last through his career.

By June the Cornwall Chronicle was singing Osborne’s praises (5):

There is not enough room in this essay to follow all the directions in which Osborne expanded his career during these years.  Sponge-like, he seems to have absorbed every facet of entertaining and made a name for himself as a multi-talented performer and theatrical manager, all during his twenties.  While awaiting his official Pardon, Osborne remained within the bounds of Tasmania, and it would not be until 1849 that he ventured briefly over the water to Melbourne.

In May 1846 his troupe at the Olympic had included the “Sable Minstrels”, a very early example of the coming Minstrel Troupes which would become a feature of Australian theatre. By 1848 he was mentioned as the Manager at the Albert Theatre, Hobart: “… seems determined to cater to the best of his ability for the public amusement, and with this view he has determined to produce a Pantomime on Easter Monday, comprising several novel comicalities. Amongst other, we may mention the driving of four cats harnessed round the stage – the cats having been well-trained to this novel feat by Mr. Osborne, who has succeeded in bringing them to a state of great docility quite foreign to the natural dispositions of these animals.”  The cat act took Osborne to Melbourne in February 1849, at the Queen’s Theatre. (6)

In October 1849, back at the Olympic in Launceston, Osborne was both the Lessee and Manager of the theatre, producing a “new local comic Pantomime, with entirely new scenery, machinery, dresses, tricks and transformation, entitled Harlequin in California! or, Emigration from Tasmania; and the Fiend of the  Gold Mine.” By December he was performing straight drama, as the lead performer in Shakespeare’s “Othello”. This season also featured Mrs. Osborne who, at this stage, was the former Anne Richardson (1833-1878), having married (7) at Bethesda chapel, Hobart, on July 24 1848.

Throughout this period, Mr. Osborne was also developing as a popular singer of comic or “Boffo” songs, which would be his mainstay. He continued to build his reputation in Tasmania, and a cursory overview of his work up to 1853 includes:

January 1851 - Signor Ferdinand in ‘Don Caesar De Bazan’ at the Royal Victoria Theatre, Hobart (commonly known as the Theatre Royal, and still in operation since 1836)

February 1851 – James Sheridan Knowles’ play “Virginius” at the Royal Victoria, in the role of Icilius.

The title role was played by another significant figure, Mr. Faucit Saville.

September 1851 - Recipient of a Benefit night at the Albert Theatre, Hobart

July 1852 to March 1853 – Shown as ‘Acting Stage Manager’ as well as singing at the Royal Victoria.

Mrs. Osborne appeared in the lead of “Black Eyed Susan” during January 1853, and both appeared opposite each other in the drama of “Jack Sheppard” in February.

In mid-February change was in the air, as Mr. & Mrs. Osborne took a “farewell” benefit at the Royal Victoria. It seems, however, that the a local hotelier was eager to have him gone. Mr John Davies, of the Waterloo Hotel, and a Mr. J.B.Watson, had obtained the new lease of the theatre and, on February 19 (8) they advertised that “The undersigned having become lessees for five years of the above theatre, respectfully notify to the public that it will close after this evening for the season. During the recess the theatre will be remodelled and embellished…”

[Hobarton Guardian, February 26, 1853 advertisement] - “Mr. R. Osborne takes the present opportunity of returning his sincere and grateful thanks to his numerous Friends, and the Public in general, for the liberal patronage he has on all occasions received, but more especially on Monday Evening last, when they simultaneously exhibited their disgust at the conduct pursued by MR. DAVIES, landlord of the Waterloo Hotel, in this city, in his having used all his energy in endeavouring to remove me from the Theatre, without even a week’s notice, together with his having circulated through the medium of the press – that last Thursday Evening the 17th [sic.] instant, would be the last night that the Theatre would be open under my management this season….. the Theatre will be opened on Monday Evening, Feb. 28 … with the celebrated Drama, by desire, entitled The Avenger, Or, the Dark Gondolier of Madrid! (The Avenger … Mr. Osborne)”

He was still at the Theatre on March 7 with the “celebrated Drama entitled “The Demon Dwarf, or, the Magic Statue” which was announced to be the last night of the season.

Almost as soon as he and his wife left Tasmania, all trace of them vanishes and, from the scant evidence we can find, it appears likely that they may have travelled to England in search of theatrical performers to bring back to Australia under their management. This in itself is an astonishing venture, if true, because Osborne’s pardon was conditional on him not returning to the “motherland” and would surely have placed him at great risk.

“…re my connection with the late Bob Osborne, and the dear old dog Jonathan. ‘The Wonderful dog Jonathan’ which was starred, was a large white French poodle, capped to look like a lion; he did a very fast, clever performance, good for those times, the early fifties. Osborne brought him to the colonies from England, together with those clever performers, the Wieland Brothers, Tom and John. Tom and myself became partners in Wieland and Lyon’s Circus, after the death of poor John, who committed suicide, in Castlemaine, Victoria, some years before (15). Bob Osborne was one of the old time actors …. Bob Osborne went to England in the early fifties, and brought out a small company, Wieland Bros, and the wonderful dog Jonathan.

The great agent, John Hall Wilton (11)  … induced the boys to leave Osborne, and join Burton (12) the circus proprietor, of those days.

Poor Bob, in 1859, when I joined him to do his advance work, was reduced to a company of four people, and the ever faithful old dog. Osborne, his wife, Mrs. Mitson a concertina player, and myself. We toured Victoria and South Australia in our own conveyance. Osborne was a good melodramatic actor and comedian, and a first-class comic singer … I last saw Osborne alive in Brisbane in 1874, on my arrival with Blondin…”

Mr. Osborne makes a reappearance in 1854 when, on April 7 he advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald that he had imported from London supplies of spangles, foil paper, studs, bugles, Dutch metal lace, a troupe of Marionette figures with complete wardrobe, and 200 miscellaneous dresses to be sold for masquerades, casinos, dress balls or theatricals.

The address given for enquiries was the Olympic Arena, Castlereagh Street, Sydney.  There were several equestrian arenas in Sydney at this time, pioneers of the touring circuses of Australia with their rope balancing, fancy horse riding, and gymnastic displays. Circus historian and descendant of the “St. Leon” family line, Mark St Leon, has extensively documented their history in numerous essays and books (13).

To avoid confusion, we can firstly dispose of the “Australian Olympic Arena (or Theatre)” which, though it was not far from Osborne’s venue, was an earlier, and unrelated performance space. Located in Hunter Street, on the southern side just down the  incline from George Street, it was essentially a giant tent fitted up with a stage, dress circle, pit and arena for horsemanship. Under the guidance of gymnastics ‘professor’, Signor Luigi Dalle Case, it had a short-lived but crucial existence in 1842 as the site of the first Australian circus performances.

A more important equestrian arena was John Malcom’s “Royal Australian [Equestrian] Circus”, and  later “Malcom’s Royal Australian Amphitheatre”, located behind Malcom’s Adelphi hotel in York Street. Founded in 1850 by Edward Hughes (Edward La Rosiere), it continued as the primary circus venue until late 1854, undergoing numerous upgrades and modifications. Adding to the confusion, it was also briefly titled the “Olympic Circus” in 1857. Ultimately the site became a theatre under many different titles (Queen’s Theatre etc.)  before being shut down in 1882. Refer to a longer history in the Royal Lyceum Theatre essay on this site.

In the documented history of Sydney theatre, Mr. Osborne’s Castlereagh Street venue, the “Royal Olympic Arena” as it was most often called, is frequently overlooked as it existed under this name for a very short time. However, the site itself is of major historical importance to Sydney Theatre.

Originally opened by Mr J.S. Noble as the "Olympic Circus" in 1851, in a rickety wooden shed at the rear, or alongside, the Painter's Arms inn, the site was used for a succession of performance venues, including (14):

Royal Marionette Theatre 1853

Royal Olympic Arena 1854

Royal Albert Theatre and Dancing Salon 1854

Scandinavian [dance] Hall 1866, renamed Victoria Hall from September 1881

Academy of Music 1882 – 1887, condemned 1888, demolished in 1890

Garrick Theatre 1890-93, renamed as

Rickards' Tivoli 1893-1899 (burned down and rebuilt) to 1928

Embassy Cinema 1934 - Demolished in 1960s

Today the site is encompassed by the back end of the giant Westfield and Sydney Tower shopping complex where, in Castlereagh Street, there now stands a Gucci store. The original site address was 272 Castlereagh Street, but in modern numbering it is 79-83.

Aboard the Dutch ship ‘Doctrina et Amicitia’ out of London, Osborne’s new performing troupe arrived on March 18, 1854.

While they may have been resident at the Royal Olympic Arena, Mr. and Mrs. Osborne were performing at John Malcom’s Amphitheatre where, on April 12 & 13 they starred in the dramatic portion of the evening, titled “The Hunter of the Alps”; and the following week in ‘Oliver Twist’. Malcom was at the same time advertising that his amphitheatre, hotel and horses were available for lease, on account of ill health. However he continued at the venue until at least the end of the year.

The Royal Olympic Arena season opened on May 8 with almost a vaudeville lineup of talented performers, bookended by a drama and a farce. The Illustrated Sydney News of May 13 expressed their surprise and pleasure at the show. “Mr R. J. Osborne, the lessee of this little theatre, has much cleverness, and possesses a most decided talent for comedy… some very clever and difficult feats of skill and strength were executed by Professor Wieland, and by Professor Seigrist and his son .. the Dog Jonathan has reach a pitch of docile intelligence which some who are not quadrupeds, if they had sense enough, might envy.  Mdlle. Elise Clauss … possesses a real genius for music and would be an acquisition to the most fashionable concert … alone worth the price of admission  … as this new theatre becomes more generally known, we predict for it an increasing success.”

The People’s Advocate (16) likewise commented favourably on the new entertainment. “The Moving Panorama, depicturing the most interesting American scenery on the banks of the famous Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, is a most attractive spectacle, eliciting general applause … and loud plaudits at the conclusion…. but the overdone rant and raving of the principal character [in the drama “The Lone Hut”] Mr. C. Forrest … was in a great measure destructive of the effect of the performance. Mrs. Osborne’s performances met with marked approval. Herr Leopold’s entertainment, and the very daring and agile feats of Professor Seigrest and Son are well worth going to see. But we must not close our criticism of the Olympic without a brief notice of the truly wonderful performance of the “Dog Jonathan”. Among numerous proofs of extreme sagacity and docility, this poor dog, which is a handsome species of the French poodle, leaps backwards and forwards repeatedly, through a hoop all on blaze of fire. “

In mid-May a petty dispute broke out between John Malcom and the rival theatre. Malcom, attempting to retrieve two chairs which he had lent to the Olympic Arena, kicked in a door of the theatre, leading to a court case on May 25, (17) when the Bench, “conceiving that the affair was in a great measure owing to the jealousy engendered by the rival nature of the litigant’s establishments, fixed the damages at ten shillings, which the defendant having paid, was discharged.”

Far more serious was the tragedy which occurred on May 22, another sad tale in the history of theatrical fires. Belgian (20) pianist, Mdle. Elise Clauss, aged 24, seems to have been crossing the stage area to her piano, dressed in light muslin, when her dress caught on a naked flame and set her alight. Although Osborne’s agent, Mr. Charles White, threw her to the floor and extinguished the flames, it was too late to prevent serious burns. Mdle. Clauss succumbed late on June 1, and an inquest returned a finding of accidental burning.

From the date of the fire all performances seem to have ended, and as a result Robert Osborne was unable to find the rent for his theatre. On June 6 a concerned group of citizens advertised (18), “… Considering the heavy expenses you have been put to in bringing a company from England, at an enormous outlay, and the late catastrophe by the loss of a lady …. and the indifferent success you have met with, owing to your theatre (the Olympic) not having sufficient accommodation, we hereby request that you will name a night …to show our sympathy and good-feeling ... trusting you will be greeted with a bumper.”

It was to no avail, and on June 23, under distraint for rent, various stage wings and furniture, and the piano, were sold off. By June 27 the Olympic Arena was advertised To Let, (19) “fitted up with stage, orchestra, scenery and gas-fittings. Would suit for dramatic performances, or would make a store for hay and corn, dry goods …. also a Cottage in the court-yard, containing three rooms.”

By mid-July, it was reported that Mr. Burton [Henry Burton, later of circus fame] had taken the theatre, renamed it as the “Prince Albert Theatre” and supplied his own corps dramatique from the Royal Victoria theatre in Pitt Street for further entertainments. So ended the brief history of the “Royal Olympic Arena”.

Robert Osborne and his remaining troupe now turned back to his old Tasmanian stomping grounds, Launceston and Hobart. In Kingston, the acrobats performed outdoors: “amongst other things, the lad ascended a long heavy pole … and when at the summit, held on by one hand and extended his body in a horizontal position, to the terror and surprise of the crowd, concluding the terrific exploit by descending to terra firma head foremost.”

In November and December, Osborne and ‘Wieland & Hernandez’ (Stevens and Buckley) were embroiled in legal disputes on multiple fronts. Osborne was briefly placed under civil arrest in Hobart gaol over unpaid debts, Wieland alleged that their indentured apprenticeship was abused by them being forced to perform outdoors, Osborne laid a claim that Wieland and Hernandez had abandoned their employ, and that they had committed larceny. Ultimately all this came to nothing, as the apprenticeship papers could not be proven to have been properly sealed, but the underlying problem seems to be that the acrobats were attempting to break away from Osborne as, it seems, so had the rest of his former troupe, who found themselves in a strange country and out of work after only a few months.

By June, Osborne was back in Sydney, with (apparently) only one member of the Royal Olympic Arena troupe still with him … the trained dog, Jonathan. Gathering up new performers, he moved as far up as Moreton Bay in Queensland with new equestrian, tight rope and La Perche performers. In a return to John Malcom’s Olympic Circus, he featured in November with Mr Jones the ‘star rider and performer of gymnastics’ and ‘Mr Evans Elliott the British horseman’, Osborne presenting ‘jests, Shakespearean burlesque and exhibitions of canine sagacity.’

April 1858 saw Osborne and Jonathan with Foley’s American Circus at West Maitland. It is not known what had become of the original Mrs. Osborne, but on the Foley’s bill was listed a “Miss A. Frampton”, ‘premier danseuse’,  and by about August, she had become the new Mrs. Osborne, performing in Goulburn with a troupe largely made up of the Osbornes, Jonathan, a vocalist and an “Ethiopian Delineator” or minstrel singer.

“The engagement of Mr. and Mrs, Osborne at the Lyceum Theatre, where they made their first appearance on Saturday night, may be considered an acquisition to the already excellent company there. As a performer, the lady appears to possess some considerable versatility of talent, being a very fair actress, having some pretensions to be a singer, and in ballet dancing she is far beyond mediocrity. Fur the latter accomplishment site possesses a very good figure and a pleasing and graceful style. Mr. Osborne sang a comic song with some degree of humor, and was loudly encored. The principal feature of his performances, however, appeared to be in the exhibition of a wonderfully trained dog,  yclept "Jonathan," who, apparently, could do everything but speak, and sufficiently clever not to do that for fear - like the monkeys - of being compelled to work. The introduction, by Madame Cushla and her troupe, of several new "living pictures" was loudly applauded. The theatre was tolerably crammed by an audience who applauded all and everything that was produced on the stage, and very fairly the entertainments deserved it.”

The touring continued through townships of Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and New South Wales, with varying combinations of performers cobbled together into a performing troupe. Mr Osborne’s magic was more regularly advertised, and in May 1860 (21) it was announced that “The Wizard of the West will appear each evening, in his extraordinary Drawing Room Entertainment, entitled SOIREES FANTASTIQUE”.  June 1861 advertised a Gippsland performance by Mr R.J. Osborne’s “Theatre of  Varieties” including Electro Biology versus Mesmerism.

The Wizard was evidently not sure of his origins, because in January 1862 he was coming from a third direction as “The Great Wizard of the East in some of his most incredible feats”; and in August “The Wizard, in his astonishing Cabalistic feats” . The ‘Golden Age’ of Queanbeyan declared that “Mr R. J. Osborne performed tricks of an astounding nature, in a portion of the entertainments called “Fantastic Seances.” This artiste’s speciality is in the performance of his tricks without the aid of apparatus. Many sought to detect the means by which they were produced, but the sharpest scrutiny failed … altogether this troupe is quite a novelty, and deserving of success.”

From early 1863, the Dog Jonathan is no longer seen, and had probably expired, although his name was invoked again, briefly, in April 1870, along with “Legerdemain, Ventriloquism by the Professor”. At Gippsland in February 1863, “Mr. Osborne’s talents, both in the sleight of hand scene and personation of different characters are too well known to need any commendation from us.”

Robert Osborne would continue to present his magic for the rest of his years under different titles; in February 1868 he was “Professor Abder-El-Kaib, the Oriental Wizard”, and by 1872, more colloquially known as “Mr. Bob Osborne”, he was presenting his “Magic Temple”.

As an entertainer, this comment from 1873 seems to sum him up – “His entertainment is certainly the best we have witnessed out of the metropolis. Mr. Osborne’s performance possess great versatility and is far above mediocrity; his repertoire seems inexhaustible, legerdemain, anecdotes, songs, mechanical figures &c. keep you fairly amused for three hours. Altogether, Mr. Bob Osborne’s entertainment is well worthy of extensive patronage.” (22)

The only poor review found of Osborne was savage, but out of keeping with all his other notices (24) [August 1868] “Last evening, a person calling himself Bob Osborne gave what he called an entertainment, and of all the miserable affairs that has taken place up here (Roma, QLD) it was certainly the worst. Fancy paying 3s. to listen to a German concertina out of tune, and miserably played, and a performer yelling out what he called comic songs, and trying to delude the audience with a few common conjuring tricks, assisted by one or two confederates.”

Mr. Osborne seems to have spent his later years, from 1872, in Queensland. He is seen under various banners such as ‘Osborne's Varieties’, ‘Osborne's Museum’, and ‘The Mammoth Troupe’ (along with the magician Bosco ). His final days cannot, unfortunately, be documented completely, and his death date is currently a mystery. Sadly, the last sight we have of Robert James Osborne is a Police Court charge for false pretences.

In the ‘Western Star’ of July 29, 1876 appears an advertisement for “Leon’s Circus” at the Sydney Hotel grounds, Toowoomba, featuring a troupe of Equestrians and Gymnasts, and listing one R.J.Osborne as the Agent.   Circus historian, Mark St. Leon, has listed this as a “counterfeit show” and therefore not genuinely associated with the well-known “St. Leon’s Circus”. On November 18, Osborne appeared at Roma Police Court charged with procuring money and goods (including a circus ring, sand and sawdust, and advertising at the Western Star) on the pretence of being the agent for “Leon’s Circus.”

Whether Osborne was genuinely attempting to put together some show of his own, or not, cannot be discovered, and though the prisoner was committed to take his trial at the next District Court, no followup report has yet been found. It might be assumed that, if Osborne was convicted of this charge, he would have again been sentenced to a gaol term. He was barely fifty years old.

In October 1880 there was a report that a “Bob Osborne”, known as ‘Barefoot Bob’ had died at Charters Towers of sheer starvation, and connecting him with our travelling performer. Thankfully, a separate inquest report shows that Barefoot Bob was a butcher by trade and had only lived in the colonies for sixteen years.

We can only hope that the real Robert Osborne, actor, comic, magician and singer, came to a peaceful end after an extensive and turbulent career.

http://sydney.edu.au/paradisec/australharmony/register-O.php under “Osborne, Robert James” and “Osborne, Mrs. R.J.”) -   Dr. Graeme Skinner (University of Sydney), "A biographical register of Australian colonial musical personnel–O", Australharmony (an online resource toward the history of music and musicians in colonial and early Federation Australia).

See also, tags against “R J Osborne convict actor” at

https://trove.nla.gov.au/result?l-publictag=R+J+Osborne+convict+actor though much more can be found in addition.

(2) Reports of the Old Bailey sessions https://www.oldbaileyonline.org/search.jsp?form=searchHomePage&_divs_fulltext=&kwparse=and&_persNames_surname=Osborne&_persNames_given=Robert+James&_persNames_alias =&_offences_offenceCategory_offenceSubcategory=&_verdicts_verdictCategory_verdictSubcategory=&_punishments_punishmentCategory_puni shmentSubcategory=&_divs_div0Type_div1Type=&fromMonth=&fromYear=1835&toMonth=&toYear=1843&ref=&submit.x=0&submit.y=0

(3) Conduct Record: https://stors.tas.gov.au/CON33-1-66$init=CON33-1-66p175

at image 233 & 234

(4) Pardon: Colonial Times, Hobart TAS, December 7 1847, page 4

(5) Cornwall Chronicle. Launceston TAS, April 29, May 20 and June 10 1846

(6) Melbourne Daily News, February 10 1849 p.3

(7) Marriage of Osborne and Anne Richardson:

(8) Colonial Times, Hobart, February 19 1853 p.3

(9) “Mummer Memoirs”, a regular column of theatrical reminiscences written under the name “Hayseed”, Sydney Sportsman January 1, 1913.

(10) Harry Percival Lyons was an agent for many acrobatic and circus performers including the great Charles Blondin, associated with St. Leon’s  Circus, and even Charles Carter the illusionist. He ran the Stirling Arms Hotel in West Australia for a number of years, headed up the Wieland and Lyons Circus, and went on to be associated with some of the greatest circuses worldwide, including W.W.Coles, Wirth’s, and Sells Brothers.

(11) John Hall Wilton, agent, 1820-1862 was agent for PT Barnum, G.V.Brook and Barry Sullivan.

(12) Henry Burton, 1823-1900, touring circus proprietor and rival to John Malcom.

(13) Dr Mark St. Leon – for more on Australian circus history see, for example:-

- “Circus – the Australian Story”, Melbourne Books 2011/2012 ISBN9781877096501

- Circus in Australia – Index of Show Movements 1833-1969, published b author 2005.

- Theatre, Amphitheatre and Circus in Sydney, 1833-60 (Royal Australian Historical Society)

[link:15][/link:15]http://wsx5customurl.com

And an extensive series of books and essays - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=h5YTEh4AAAAJ&hl=en

(14) See https://ozvta.com/theatres-nsw

(15) According to the Border Watch (Mt.Gambier) this suicide occurred in March 1871, when John Wieland, a performer with Burton’s circus, killed himself following an argument and dismissal.

(16) The People’s Advocate and NSW Vindicator May 20 1854 p.4

(17) Empire, Sydney, May 26 1854 p.2

(18) Sydney Morning Herald June 6, 1854 p.8

(19) Sydney Morning Herald, June 27 , 1854  p.1

(20) While this may have been stated at the inquest, the Hobart Times of December 29, 1854, reporting on Osborne’s court case against the Wielands, mentions that “Jane Elizabeth Bradley, the other witness, was dead, having been burnt to death in Sydney”.  Elise Clauss and her 'Belgian' origin would appear to be no more than the common practice of giving an exotic name to a performer. Even the  “Wieland Brothers” were actually Stevens and Buckley, probably unrelated.

(21) Kyneton Observer May 24, 1860 p.3

(22) Dalby Herald December 6, 1873 p.2

(23) The court report on the charge of cheque fraud can be read in the Maitland Mercury, March 18, 1865, page 5.

(24) The Queenslander, Brisbane, August 29, 1868