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Les origines (1864-1895)

Charles B. Westmacott né à  Londres (29 Herford Street. Mayfair), change de quartier pour s'installer avec sa famille près de Crystal Palace, avant de résider à Bruxelles. Les parents reviennent en Angleterre, et le jeune Charles va commencer ses études à la Westminster School :

I did not remain long at Westminster, but have many happy recollections of the old school. It formed originally the Monks' Dormitory. The front door was designed by Inigo Jones. It was a beautiful door-we were all very proud of it. The boys attended chapel every morning in "Poets' Corner." One of the privileges of the school was that we could attend the gallery in the House of Commons and Courts of Justice. Our presence was also a feature at State funerals.

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WESTMACOTT, 1929 (09/02), 16.

Il vit à Londres avec sa famille lors du recensement de 1881.

Dans le but de partir pour les colonies britanniques et de se perfectionner dans les travaux des champs, il intègre, pendant deux ans, un ferme  en Écosse (Kilmartin). En 1884, il quitte l'Angleterre à bord du Cuzco où aurait voyagé également le célèbre Johnny Sheridan et sa troupe "Fun on the Bristol", ce que ne confirme pas le registre des passagers. Le navire accoste à Sydney, le 7 avril. Il passe un an à Forbes, puis il travaille à Melrose où il s'occupe d'élevage de moutons. Par la suite, grâce à la bienveillance du sheriff Charles Cowper, il intègre son département de justice.

C'est en 1887 que Charles B. Wastmacott entame sa carrière sur la scène en intégrant la compagnie de George Rignold. Il résume ainsi ces années-là :

From 1887 to 1894 I "trod the board" of practically every leading theatre in Sydney and Melbourne. A wreath of fond remembrance garlands this period of my life. Lean enough financially were those seven years, God knows, but oh, how rich in fun and friendship. Youth, glorious carefree youth was at the helm. Every day was a golden "treasury day" along the Thespian way, and we youngsters lived a day at a time. We recked not of the morrow, and though often beseiged, somehow of other we succeeded in keeping the wolf at bay. He was a genial wolf, anyway.

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WESTMACOTT, 1929 (16/03), 4.

En 1893, il revient pour quelque temps à Londres, le temps pour lui d'épouser Rosa Butler. A son retour, la presse australienne remarque ce jeune acteur non dénué de talent :

Mr. C. B. Westmacott, a young Australian actor who last appeared here during the Potter-Bellew season , has returned to Sydney after an absence of two years in England. Mr. Westmacott's experience of provincial touring was limited to a run with "Mamma" and other pieces in a company which included such well-known actresses as... [...] Mr. Westmacott, who announces his intention of staying in Sydney with his friends for a year or two, adds that the two most promising actors in London are generally thought to he Mr. Forbes Robertson and Mr. Fred Terry.

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The Sydney Morning Herald, samedi 4 novembre 1893, p. 5.

Il va en outre rejoindre la Holloway Dramatic Company dont il devient manager :

Mr. Charles Holloway has recently been joined by Mr. C. B. Westmaccott in the management of the Holloway Dramatic Company, and the new firme will open at the Adelaide Theatre Royal on Boxing Night.

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The Tasmanian, Launceston, samedi 15 décembre 1894, p. 26.

Le cinématographe (1896)

Marius Sestier, en provenance de Bombay, s'apprête à présenter son cinématographe Lumière. Afin de trouver une salle adaptée, il va faire appel au photographe Henry Walter Barnett et à Charles B. Westmacott comme ce dernier l'évoque, de façon quelque peu approximative, dans ses mémoires :

ONE of my early ventures into the lists of management had to do with the first display of moving pictures in Australia. The original machine - a Lumiere, was sent to this country by Pathe Freres [sic] in '95 [sic]. There were twelve pictures, each running to about 100 feet. J. C. Williamson had secured the outfit with a view to showing it in his forth coming Melbourne panto, "Matsa." The opening, however, was six weeks away, and J.C.W., always anxious to turn an honest penny, invited myself and Barnett, founder of Falk studios, to come in with him a preliminary Sydney season. The "big Boss" hadn't a vacant place of his own to show in, d'yo hen. Barnett and I rented a shop somewhere about where the Film House now stands. We put in Austrian chairs and engaged a small band with music specially arranged by Hazon, leading conductor of the day. We projected from what was really the shop window, and the admission charge was a bob.Williamson as machine holder took half the profits, and at the end of a hectic flickering month Barnett and I emerged with £100 apiece for our chop. The show ran at half hour intervals from midday until six o'clock.

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WESTMACOTT, 1929 (06/04): 17.

Le salon du Cinématographe Lumière se trouve au 237 Pitt-street face au Lyceum Theatre :

The cinematographe, which is being shown at 237 Pitt-street, nearly opposite the Lyceum Theatre, is attracting a great deal of attention. The machine is the only authorised one of the kind in Australia. Two programmes of 12 living pictures are presented alternately throughout the day from 1.30 p.m. to half-past 9.

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The Australian Star, Sydney, jeudi 1^er octobre 1896, p. 6.

Quelques jours plus tard, les noms des deux "managers" figurant dans les encarts publicitaires.

The Australian Star, Sydney, samedi 17 octobre 1896,p. 1.

Pitt St at Lyceum Theatre [and Tattersall's Hotel. [le 237 de la rue Pitt-street est sur la gauche de la rue.] 
Source: the collections of the State Library of New South Wales [DL PX 163, 68] (Dixson Library)

Il semble que la contribution au cinématographe de Charles B. Westmacott se soit limitée à la location de la salle située au nº 237 Pitt-street.

Et après... (1897-1934)

Mr. Westmacott, who was widely known, was born in England and educated at Westminster School. Soon after coming to Australia more than 50 years ago he was employed in the pastoral industry and worked on stations on the Lachlan and Bogan Rivers in New South Wales. In 1887 he went on the stage with George Rignold at Her Majesty's Theatre six weeks after it was opened. The play was called "Held by the Enemy." He remained with Rignold for two years and then linked up with Williamson, Garner and Musgrove, the first big firm of theatrical producers in Sydney. The three of them formed "the firm" as Williamsons has been known ever since. The funeral will be held tomorrow.The West Australian, Perth, lundi 22 octobre 1934, p. 12.

The complimentary matinee tendered to Mr. C. B. Westmacott, the sub-lessee of the Theatre Royal, was given at the house yesterday, and drew a large audience.The Australian Star, Sydney, mardi 6 avril 1897, p. 3.

LATE MR. WESTMACORR
A large and representative gathering attended the funeral yesterday of the late Mr. C. Westmacott, former general manager of J. C. Williamson, Litd., who died on Sunday. Dean Talbot presided at the service in St. Andrew's Cathedral. The remains were cremated at Rookwood. Among those present were representatives of every branch of the theatrical profession, broadcasting stations, and many other walks of life.The Labor Daily, Sydney, mardi 23 octobre 1934, p. 4.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17123509?searchTerm=C.%20b.%20Westmacott

Sources

FULLOON Gillian, "Charles Babington Westmacott (1864-1934), Australian Dictionary of Biography (https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/westmacott-charles-babington-9053)

WESTMACOTT C. B., "His Apologia", Smith's Weekly, Sydney, 1929.

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