Charles Witto-witto Cawthorne (1 July 1854 – 26 June 1925) was a businessman who, with his father founded

Cawthorne and Co Cawthorne and Co, also known as Cawthorne's Limited, was a company founded in 1870 in Adelaide, South Australia, by Charles Cawthorne and his father William Anderson Cawthorne (also known as W.A. Cawthorne), which dealt in musical instruments, sh ...

, music publishers and retailers in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

. He was a proficient musician and important in the history of orchestral music of Adelaide.

History

Charles Cawthorne was born in Adelaide the second son of

W. A. Cawthorne Cawthorne and Co, also known as Cawthorne's Limited, was a company founded in 1870 in Adelaide, South Australia, by Charles Cawthorne and his father William Anderson Cawthorne (also known as W.A. Cawthorne), which dealt in musical instruments, s ...

and educated by his parents – his father was a noted schoolmaster and his mother a talented pianist. He studied violin under F. Draeger and piano under Gustav Louis Esselbach (died 2 June 1885) and as an adult, music was his great interest, both as a performer and as a promoter and organiser. He was co-founder with his father of Cawthorne & Co. as a business involved in every aspect of music-making, and chairman of directors of Cawthorne's Limited, a family company formed to take over the business. He was also active in non-professional organisations such as the

Adelaide Choral Society Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, Elder Conservatorium students' concerts, the South Australian State Orchestra, and

Minda Home Minda Incorporated, established in 1898, provides support to children and adults with disability in Adelaide, South Australia and is the largest non-Government disability support organisation in the state. The not-for-profit organisation offers ...

. At the age of 18, he was made conductor of the Adelaide Amateur Orchestra. He and W. C. Chapman formed the nucleus of orchestras for major social events at

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...

and the

Town Hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

, and founded the Adelaide Orchestra, which became (Hermann) Heinicke's Grand Orchestra. He founded the Conservatorium Grand Orchestra which became the Adelaide Grand Orchestra. In 1910 he founded the Adelaide Orchestral Society. In each of these he played bassoon and occasionally conducted. He also had some success as a composer of waltzes. He did much to promote local talent – he was prominent in raising funds to enable violinist W. L. Harris, pianist John Bishop and singer Helene Taylor to study overseas. During the Great War he was prominent in patriotic fund-raising activities: during 1915 he organised no fewer than 60 concerts featuring such musicians as the Adelaide Bach Society,

, Adelaide Orpheus Society and soloists

Delmar Hall Delmar may refer to: Places in the United States *Delmar, Alabama * Delmar, Delaware *Delmar, Iowa * Delmar, Maryland * Delmar, Missouri * Delmar, New York *Delmar Township, Pennsylvania * Delmar, West Virginia *Delmar, Wisconsin *Delmar Loop, a n ...

, Brewster-Jones, and Thomas Grigg. He organised concerts starring the great soloists of the day – Madame Albani, Amy Castles, Peter Dawson,

Clara Serena Clara Serena Kleinschmidt (9 June 1890 – 11 August 1972) was an Australian operatic contralto singer, professionally known as Clara Serena. She had a successful career in London and in Europe, which was interrupted by the Great War of 1914–191 ...

, and

Hilda Felstead Hilda is one of several female given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Th ...

. Three of his four sons, Gus (1887–1937), Cyril (1894–1971) and Frank (1899–1985), had a continuing involvement with the company. See main article for family details.

works

* 1883 Olivia Waltz * 1887 Dorothea Waltz * 1904 Greta Waltz * 1900 Adelaide Jubilee Exhibition Polka * AYMS (Adelaide Young Men's Society Waltz

Recognition

He has been recognised by: * a plaque on the

Jubilee 150 Walkway The Jubilee 150 Walkway, also variously known as the Jubilee 150 Commemorative Walk, the Jubilee 150 Walk, Jubilee 150 Plaques, the Jubilee Walk, or simply J150, is a series of (initially) 150 bronze plaques set into the pavement of Nort ...

*A newspaper nominated him one of the 15 notable SA musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century:

Frederick Bevan Frederick Charles Bevan (1856 – 27 March 1939) was a singer and songwriter in England remembered as a teacher of singing in South Australia. History Bevan was born in London, and began his musical career as a chorister and one of the chief soloi ...

, Charles Cawthorne, E. Harold Davies, J. M. Dunn, Thomas Grigg,

Hermann Heinicke August Moritz Hermann Heinicke (21 July 1863 – 11 July 1949), only ever known as Hermann or Herr Heinicke, was a German-born violinist and music teacher in South Australia. He founded Heinicke's Grand Orchestra and was the first conductor of the ...

, John Horner, E. H. Wallace Packer,

Harold S. Parsons Harold may refer to: People * Harold (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Harold (surname), surname in the English language * András Arató, known in meme culture as "Hide the Pain Harold" Arts a ...

, W. R. Pybus, I. G. Reimann, William Silver, C. J. Stevens,

Oscar Taeuber Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology), ...

Arthur Williamson Arthur Hamilton Williamson (26 July 1930 – 26 June 2020) was a Scottish professional footballer who made over 260 appearances in the Football League for Southend United as a right back. He made a record 230 consecutive appearances in all co ...

References

External links

* http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article73605177 – Obituary, Advertiser, 27 June 1925 * http://trove.nla.gov.au/people/679081?q=Charles++Cross&c=people * https://web.archive.org/web/20150215160929/https://histfam.familysearch.org//getperson.php?personID=I115898&tree=SouthAustralia – Family tree * https://web.archive.org/web/20120321115410/http://music.slsa.sa.gov.au/zsmi14665633_s001_fc.htm – Olivia usic: waltz / composed by Chas. Cawthorne * https://web.archive.org/web/20120420223701/http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=2675 Olivia * https://web.archive.org/web/20120402090443/http://www.samemory.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?c=523 The wireless telephone
Google books
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Google books
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– Cyril Cawthorne (1892–1971) * https://web.archive.org/web/20130419204335/http://www.graemeskinner.id.au/biographicalregisterC-D.htm – CAWTHORNE, Charles Violinist, conductor, composer, music retailer, memorialist * http://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/bitstream/2440/64930/1/312-55.jpg – Notable Adelaide Musicians {{authority control 1854 births 1925 deaths 19th-century composers 20th-century composers Australian male composers Australian composers Businesspeople from Adelaide 20th-century Australian male musicians 20th-century Australian musicians 19th-century male musicians Colony of South Australia people

History

works

Recognition

See also

References

External links