Guide to the Papers of William Key

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MS 9967

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Created: ©2006.

Collection Summary

Creator
William Illiad Aeneas Key (1907-2004)
Title
Papers of William Key
Date Range
1926-2006
Collection Number
MS 9967
Extent
0.56 metres (3 boxes + folio items)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Content

Papers relating to Key's life and career. The collection incudes photographs, programs of performances, biographical material relating to Key and two folders of typescripts of what appears to be autobiographical reminiscences.

From Key's time as a variety show performer there are the script, musical score, cuttings and posters for the production 'Cinderella Pantomime' and a large travel diary containing diary entries, scripts, promotional flyers and photographs relating to his tour with the 'Sparkles and Flashes Company'.

Access

The collection is available for reference.

Copying and Publishing

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of William Key, National Library of Australia, MS 9967, [file number]'.

Provenance

The papers were donated to the Library in April 2006 by Noreen Walsh, a long time friend of William Key.

Arrangement

The papers have been arranged by the Library and listed by folder title.

Biographical Note

William Key was a musician and a variety show performer. He was born in Adelaide on 29 May 1907 to William Indus Key and Beatrice Matilda Key (née Evans). At the time his father was a flautist with the Theatre Royal in Adelaide. Key undertook his schooling in Adelaide at the Collegiate School of St. Peter. From his family, Key inherited a propensity for wanderlust and a love of music and sailing.

When he finished his schooling, Key joined the South Australian Public Service, with the idea of rising to a good position. In 1924 he left the security of this job to join Muriel Matthew's travelling vaudeville show billed as the 'Sparkles and Flashes Company', touring remote parts of southern Australia.

During the 1920s Key also toured with his brother, Arthur Key, presenting their 'Cinderella Pantomime'. 1930 found the brothers in Manly performing an act they called 'Electra', which involved an electric current being passed through Arthur's body.

In the 1930s, Key was engaged as a professional musician, playing the double bass with, amongst others, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Musica Viva Society and the ABC Orchestra. In September 1934 he was admitted to membership of the Orchestral Section of the Royal Philharmonic Society of Sydney.

In 1943 Key was issued with a Certificate of Competency as a Master of a British Yacht by the Minister for Trade and Customs, Melbourne. In July of that year he joined the Royal Australian Navy. He was discharged in November 1950, having attained the rank of Lieutenant.

In his later years, Key was employed as a Harbour Master with Sydney Harbour ferries. In December 1974 he was issued with a Certificate of Competency as a Marine Motor Engineer and in August 1975 a Certificate of Competency as Master of a Harbor [sic] and River Steamer. Both certificates were issued by the Maritime Services Board, Sydney.

William Key died on 5 April 2004. His ashes were scattered in Kealakekua Bay, Hawaii, by the Chaplain aboard HMAS Success.

Item Descriptions

Class MS 9967. Original Consignment

'Cinderella Pantomime': musical score, production notes and script, c1920s (File 1) - box 1

Program and photocopies of papers relating to Key's stage show, 'Electra', c1930 (File 2) - box 1

A notebook entitled 'Muriel's shows touring synopsis', containing reminiscences about touring with Muriel Matthew's 'Sparkles and Flashes Company', undated (Item 3) - box 1

Programs for shows in which Key was a performer or musician, c1926-1940s (File 4) - box 1

Photographs, approximately half of which are photocopies. Included are ten original photographs of the 'Sparkles and Flashes Company' on tour, (c1926-1927) and miscellaneous photographs of Key's travels in later life (File 5-8) - box 1

Cuttings of articles relating to Key, mostly c1940s (File 9) - box 2

Biographical material, including notes made by Key and certificates of naval appointments, courses completed etc (File 10) - box 2

Correspondence comprising mostly photocopies, some of which relates to musical appointments, some to Key's naval career, 1935-1952; 1974; 1988; 2004-2006 (File 11) - box 2

Reminiscences by Key comprising loose pages of notes, of his early days touring and a typescript of incidents which occurred while he was performing with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (File 12) - box 2

Typescript draft and copy of an article by Key entitled 'How I got my Yachtmaster's Certificate', which was published in Seacraft, October 1955 (File 13) - box 2

Notes and typescripts relating to Key acquiring his own boat, c1958-1960 (File 14) - box 2

Miscellaneous papers accumulated by Key (File 15-18) - box 2

A large journal kept during a tour Key undertook as a member of Muriel Matthew's 'Sparkles and Flashes Company' (c1926-1927) during which he used the stage name 'Max Illiad'. It contains diary entries, scripts, promotional flyers, photographs and some financial records, c1926-1927 (Item 19) - box 3

Two large folders of typescript, which appear to be autobiographical stories written by Key (Item 20-21) - box 4

Three posters advertising performances of the 'Cinderella Pantomime' together with the 'Sunbeam Wonders' and on the same programme 'Madam Prince's 16 Performing Real Live Monkeys', c1920s (File 1-3) - folio 1-3

One poster advertising a performance of Muriel Matthew's 'Sparkles and Flashes Company', c1926-1927 (File 4) - folio 4


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