Interview with Brendan Kelly - Biographer of ‘Jerry’ Hart

In the last couple decades of the 19th century, the 1880s and 1890s, as Western Australia earned Responsible Government, the Gold Rush became a thing, and Federation approached, a 19 year old Francis Jerome Ernest Hart arrived in the Swan River Colony from London to take up a teaching position. Before long he had assumed the career of a journalist, first on the Fremantle Herald and later in Geraldton and Perth, as well as venturing into the world of the theatre. Along the way he married the lovely Lilian and the became musical friends of the Governor of the period, William Robinson. However, Jerry wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea and before too long he departed the jurisdiction never to return. It can fairly be said that not many around the traps in Fremantle, Perth and WA today will recognise his name.

However, historian and author Brendan Kelly has been pursuing the life and times of ‘Jerry’ Hart for some years as one of his ‘B side’ history projects, and his biography of the man – ‘Jerry’ Hart: Sex & Drugs & Gilbert & Sullivan – has just been published.

Our editor, Michael Barker, was pleased to catch up with Brendan Kelly ahead of the launch of the biography at the History West Centre, 109 Stirling Hwy, Nedlands, this Friday night, to make the podcast that you’ll find below, where the inspiration for Brendan’s work and the life and times of the elusive Jerry Hart are the subject of lively discussion.