Florence Austral at home, Newcastle, NSW, 10 March 1953 / Sam Hood. Florence Austral was Australia's first Wagnerian soprano with an international career. She and Frida Leider were considered the two greats of the 1920's. Unfortunately she didn't have an established career at Covent Garden which restricted her renown, although she left 102 recordings of her warm but majestic voice. In Berlin in 1930, she showed the first signs of multiple sclerosis. Her career afterwards consisted of more concert and recording work, also entertaining the troops during the War. After the War Austral was a teacher at the Newcastle Conservatorium of Music, New South Wales. Regarded by many as Australia's greatest singer.
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