And it was always a smart idea to take along a cushion, to place on those rickety chairs, because you never knew where they had been or what stains or gum residues could have been left there.

What was known, as everyone waited for the curtains to raise under Carol’s Variety and later Sorlie’s banner or the International Variety Show tent, was that for the next 90 minutes the performers would entertain and cajole their audience into forgetting the drudgery of the day.

Lucky Grills, in his oversized houndstooth-checked sports jacket and carrying his trademark battered old suitcase, had us in fits of laughter over his corny jokes such as ... ‘I say, I say, I say. What do you get when you drink too much Bundy at Boydies?’

‘A slosh-ful of sch-lither-ing sch -nakes!’  – The pun being Boydies ‘Snake Pit’. 

During the fifties and sixties, Mount Isa was a show promoter’s dream as television was yet to invade and diminish our love of vaudeville which still drew large crowds to each performance.

The travelling tent shows like Carol’s and the International Variety Shows were the training grounds for later radio and television stars such as Gordon Chater, Jan Adele and the ubiquitous Lucky Grills.

From burlesque and revue, to cabaret, circus, sketch comedy through to the backing bands doing covers of the latest records, the Shows provided welcome live entertainment to outback communities like Mount Isa.

And occasionally, the Promoter would invite a local band to go on stage and back the singing stars of the show.

Boris Stepanov of The Midnighters, recalls such an occasion when the band was invited to perform at Carol’s Variety to back Geoff ‘Tangletongue’ Mack as he sang his smash hit I’ve Been Everywhere Man.

The song became an international hit for Lucky Starr, although he never did get around to including Mount Isa in his 94 tongue-twisting Aussie place names delivered at breakneck speed. The pace the travelling tent shows would set as soon as they arrived in town.

It was all go, go, go, to erect the tent, most often on the land between Brown’s Milk Depot and the Salvation Army Chapel, in West Street, collect the sawdust from the timber yards and spread it on the ground before the rickety-rackety chairs were positioned ready for that night’s audience. All in all it would take nearly 12 hours to assemble the large centre-point tent, stage, seating and ticket box at each outdoor location.

There was an act for everyone from the risqué burlesque-style dance routines – with showgirls in bustiers and fishnet stockings, feathers, furs and long-tailed bustles to the sketch comedy acts to the latest singing sensation such as the young blonde haired heart throb, Johnny Farnham of Sadie the Cleaning Lady fame.

Travelling tent shows were not just the domain of the vaudeville shows as was evidenced by the many country and western shows that came to town. They included the Rick and Thel Show, Chad Morgan, Tex Morton and his Rodeo Show, Buddy Williams and the king of all – the Slim Dusty Show.

And while Carol’s and the International Variety Shows pitched their tent on the riverbank next to Brown’s Milk Depot, the country and western shows gravitated to the southern end of West Street closer to the local hotels.

Rick and Thel Carey’s poster promoted their show … featuring a brand new cast of Topline Celebrities hand-picked from the Best on Radio, Stage, TV and Recordings … a real gasser!

The Buddy Williams Show proudly announced that they had already played in Cloncurry and they would take their galaxy of live artists to Camooweal, Gregory Downs, Burketown, Normanton, Croydon and Georgetown but first they had a show spectacular for their Isa audience.

Tex Morton set up his Rodeo and Circus Show next to the Scout Hall on the Barkly Highway and the line of people waiting to buy tickets to the show, extended back towards the swimming pool. Their wait was rewarded with a show of Wild West proportions with all the thrills and spills of rodeo and circus acts while Tex sang covers of the popular country and western songs.

When Chad Morgan’s poster went into shop windows, it proudly announced the appearance of Tony Worsley and the Blue Jays along with Chad himself, Kevin Chegog, Ricky and Tammy, Donna Gate, Graham Chapman along with jugglers, dancers and whipcrackers.

Tony Worsley (and the Blue Jays of the hit record, Jaywalker) had been sent out on the oft-derided tent show circuit – to regain his health after prolonged drug use – and performed with the Chad Morgan Show all over northern Australia.

And while Tex, Chad, Rick and Thel, even Tony Worsley may have had sell out shows, the biggest, best and most loved tent show belonged to Slim Dusty and Joy McKean who made lifelong friends in the Isa, sang about The Isa Rodeo and included The Isa in their film, The Slim Dusty Movie. As earlier tent shows dwindled by the roadside as the years progressed, the Slim Dusty Show was one of a kind not least for its longevity.

Slim continued to entertain his local fans through the era of travelling tent shows to performances in the RSS&AILA Memorial Hall, the original St Joseph’s Hall, Star Theatre and in later years the Mount Isa Memorial Civic Centre, as he kept the true blue Aussie character alive through his songs; each time going on stage with a whiff of sawdust in his memory.

Researched and written by Kim-Maree Burton.   www.kimmareeburton.com

Photographs courtesy of a Facebook ‘Friend’ and Mt Isa Mail. Information sourced from Mt Isa Mail and the North West Star newspapers.