
Under the Big Top – Circus in Australia: 1847-2025, a talk by Dr Mark St Leon

July 27 @ 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Dr Mark St Leon is descended from one of Australia’s earliest circus families, and is the author of the definitive history of circus in Australia, Circus: The Australian Story [Melbourne Books, 2011].
Having obtained a Bachelor of Economics, he qualified as a Chartered Accountant, serving as Senior Finance Officer (1983-1994) of the Australia Council, the Federal Government’s arts funding and policy advisory body, overseeing funding and financial management of Australia’s major funded arts organisations.
Mark’s research for the Australia Council into the overall state of the nation’s circus industry led to the Circus Summit, convened in Melbourne in 1991, the first national conference of circus people, which resulted in the establishment of a national circus school, the National Institute of Circus Arts.
He devised and launched the ‘AMAG’ concept, the Arts Management Advisory Groups. The Sydney branch [‘SAMAG’] is now in its 34th year of continuous, non-profit operation.
Mark’s illustrated talk will be, as usual, followed by some light refreshment.
Jan and Paul Williams
events@ashfieldhistory.org.au