YARRA GLEN ENTERTAINERS (1886-1997)
This group of older citizens formed a singing and dancing entertainment troupe in the 1980s. It began as an informal group who gathered at the home of Les Harry and his wife Ivy who loved to play the piano and sing. They were joined by the Muddymans, well-known country music singers and song-writers, who were the only ones with any experience of performing in public. One of their first performances was at the Healesville Seniors Club. After about six months Norma Miller took over the arrangement of the programme and Val Walker was invited to become the pianist.
The Victorian Council on the Aging Inc. (VCOTA) presented a Concert Party Award each year during Senior Citizens Week. In the first year of entering the competition the Yarra Glen Entertainers reached the finals and were awarded Third Prize. In their second year they were awarded Second Prize, one point behind the winners Mornington Revellers. The success of the Yarra Glen Entertainers is put into perspective when it is noted that many of the groups they competed against included people who had spent their lives as professional entertainers, seamstresses and costume designers or had other associations with the entertainment industry.
On Saturday April 11 1992 at a special supper dance at the Hilton Hotel in Melbourne, the Premier of Victoria Joan Kirner presented the Yarra Glen Entertainers with First Prize.
The Yarra Glen Entertainers continued their performances for another five years giving two or three concerts a month. The last concert was given at the Wantirna Friendship Club on 18 September 1997. The final event was a luncheon on 12 November that year when the remaining funds were divided among the members. As all the members were over fifty years of age when they started in 1986, there had sadly been some who had passed on during the eleven years the Entertainers were together. For those who remain their eyes light up and the tales unfold as they recall the fun they shared and the acclaim they received from their audiences. Much of the success of the group can be attributed to the sense of fun and camaraderie enjoyed by the members.
