Amy CastlesPrint Page 
The plaque commemorates singer Amy Castles (1880 - 1951) who used to stay in this house with her grandmother.
Amy Castles was a dramatic soprano whose talent was discovered by E. Allan Bindley while she was still at school. He became her teacher and directed one of her earliest public performances in a local production of Gilbert and Sullivan`s Patience, in October 1898.
On the 16 March 1899, she made her début in Melbourne at the annual meeting of the Austral Salon. The `magnificent quality` of her voice astonished her audience and public concerts were immediately arranged. The `slip of a girl in a simple white frock` with her hair down to her shoulders created a sensation.
Location
| Address: | 234 Leicester Street, Carlton, 3053 |
|---|---|
| State: | VIC |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -37.800266 Long: 144.961217 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | People |
| Sub-Theme: | Arts |
| Link: | http://adbonline.anu.edu.au/adbonli… |
Dedication
In memory of Amy Castles (1880 - 1951), Victorian-born soprano who in the 1890s used to stay in this house, her grandmother`s home. Amy became well known in Melbourne in 1899, aged 18.
After singing in the concert halls of Europe, she attracted an audience of 20,000 in the Melbourne Exhibition Buildings in 1902.
This building was later purchased by the Graduate Union of the University of Melbourne in December 1957.
