Norma Linley Wilson (1898-1990), dancing entrepreneur, was born on 28 October 1898 in East Perth, eighth of nine children of English-born parents Frank Wilson, merchant, and his wife Annie, née Phillips. An accomplished pianist, Linley left the Girls’ High School, Claremont, at 15 and worked in a Perth music shop. Late in 1921 she went to London intending to become a concert pianist. Instead she qualified as a teacher of ballroom dancing with the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, and of country dancing with the English Folk Dance Society. Returning to Perth in 1926 she was the State’s only accredited teacher of ballet and ballroom dancing. She established a studio which, although charging high fees, was soon successful and employed additional staff, attracting a middle-class clientele. From 1929 she promoted annual concerts, which became select social occasions; her students performed to raise funds for influential community organisations.
A pioneer in applying modern educational approaches to dance, Wilson gave classes at several independent girls’ schools. From 1933 she was guest lecturer to diploma of education students at the University of Western Australia. In 1932 she had been founding president of the Western Australian Dance Teachers Society, and was also inaugural president of the Ballroom Dancing Teachers Association. She travelled extensively to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, promoting the value of an examination system for the teaching of ballet, and she maintained her professional contacts by extended visits overseas. To her students and their parents she was a model of respectable femininity, and a sophisticated one by the standards of Perth in the 1930s. Living alone in a modern flat she had lovers and homosexual friends, wore Italian shoes, drove a smart car, smoked, studied ‘that most modern of all sciences, psychology’, and never learned to cook. Her unconventional ways did not prevent her networking successfully in influential circles of Perth’s professional and academic world.
In 1939-40 Wilson established Western Australia’s first ballet company, the Australian Caravan Ballet, which performed in Perth and Bunbury; it could be seen as the forerunner of the professional West Australian Ballet Company, founded in 1953. Further development was impeded by the coming of World War II. Her marriage to Keith Merlin George on 22 June 1942 at the district registrar’s office, Cannington, Western Australia, alienated some supporters. The son of a conservative father, William George, Keith had qualified as a lawyer but during the 1930s produced and directed theatre at the radical Workers’ Art Guild. After their marriage he helped to manage her growing ballet school; students remembered him boiling a billy and showing them how to make tea bush-style, and holding up his trousers with a necktie.
Wilson continued to teach following George’s death in 1972, but soon after sold her school to Trevor Dodd. In 1974 she was elected to the grand council of the Royal Academy of Dancing in London, on the nomination of Dame Margot Fonteyn. Wilson was appointed AM in 1978. Her attempts to endow the University of Western Australia with a chair of ballet did not succeed. She trained dozens of professional dancers and dance teachers of note including Alison Lee, Joanna Priest and Robin Haig. Childless, she died on 9 April 1990 at Nedlands and was cremated. Her estate was modest; she had employed full-time private nurses to care, firstly, for her ailing husband and then for herself.
https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/wilson-norma-linley-15798
Linley Wilson was the State’s most influential pioneer of dance. Born 1898 she was the daughter of Frank Wilson twice Liberal Premier from 1897 to 1917. In 1921 she went to London to study piano…and apply herself to dance.
Returning in 1926 she had no trouble attracting students to her Durham House studio opposite His Majesty’s Theatre.
Lessons around town cost 1/- – she charged 4/-
Stage, Screen and Stars produced and printed by The West Australian
1936 – Linley Wilson School of Dancing
A recital of Interest will be given by students of the Linley Wilson School of Dancing at the Assembly Hall on Thursday, December 17, : Friday, 18. and Saturday, 19, commencing at 8.15 p.m. The programme embraces dances of all nations and includes the floral dance to music by Edward German, pas de deux danced to the “Caprice Viennois,” “The,, Dream of the Fairy Shoes,” scarf dance, classical Greek technique, and dances to music by Beethoven, Chopin, Brahms and Kreisler. Some of the performers for the evening wHl include Enid Wallder, Dorothy. Fleming, Harry Nairn and Penelope Clifton.
The music ls a special feature of the performance, and the orchestra, the personnel of which is Trixie Shepherd. Doris Tyler. David Powell and Val Robertson. Is under the direction of Val Robertson.
THE DRESSING IS MAGNIFICENT, and there will be special lighting effects never before seen in Perth. The ?whole production is under the personal direction of Linley Wilson, and Hugh Torrance will act as stage manager.
His Excellency the LieutenantGovernor, Sir James Mitchell, has given his patronage and with Lady Mitchell will be present at the first performance. The box plan is at Musgrove’s Ltd.
Sunday Times (Perth, WA : 1902 – 1955), Sunday 13 December 1936, page 20
* ALL STAR *
Variety Concert
United Nations Children’s Appeal
Saturday 3 Dec 1949
Featuring
* Jackie Harrison Mouth Organist
* Billy Clowes Blind Pianist
* Chic Burke Tap Dancer
* Glen Matsen Guitar Ensemble
* George Everson’s Banjo Band
* Laurie Croisette Western Songs
* Ballet Solo Linley Wilson Caravan Ballet
* Carmel, Pattie, Judy Raitt, Vocal Trio
* Valmai Read Accordion
* Don Vickers Accordion Band
*Cuban Fair John Anstey YAL Boys
* Eunice Greig, Phil Moran, Vocal Duets
* Joan Curtin Marimba
* Una Glass Highland Dancing
* Perth College and Christian Bros. School Choirs
HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3.
You Can’t say ‘NO’ to a Starving Child.
Help the United Nations Appeal for Children.
Prices 4/1 and 3/1
BOX PLANS AT NICHOLSONS.
Marcia and Nerida Chayter and Diana and Cally Coombs went to ballet classes, firstly with Linley Wilson and then Evelyn Hodginson (daughter of Shirley Halliday).
Nerida remembers breaking her wrist during a ballet class and being told “Come on, you’re alright, get up” which she did and continued the class. When Rollo picked them up Nerida was as white as a sheet and was taken to St Anne’s for an xray. Ballet exams were held by The Royal Academy of Dancing (formerly The Association of Operatic Dancing of Great Britain) and Marcia attended her exam at The McNess Hall, Pier Street, Perth and passed Grade 3 in 1947.
Marcia continued ballet up until the age of 16 and mentions it regularly in her diary:
