Albert Collins was born in New Zealand,[1] and in 1906 left to teach drawing at Abbotsleigh School for Girls in Wahroonga where he continued taking classes until 1912.
He awarded a special prize to another student, Jean Sulman for designing a new cover for the school magazine which was used from 1915 to 1938.
[8][9] Artists they employed included Frank Burdett, Harold Cazneaux, Adrian Feint, Lloyd Rees, Fred Britton, George Frederick Lawrence, James Muir Auld, Roland Wakelin, Roy de Maistre, Percival Leason and Bill Sparrow.
[1] Other plays for the Independent Theatre in which he had a major part included By Candle Light[16] The Middle Watch[17] The Young Idea[18] Petticoat Influence[19] and Springtime for Henry.
[20] The Constant Nymph[21] As "Joe", he was co-presenter of the ABC Children's Session and Argonauts' Club from 1938 to 1951, from 1942 playing the title role in the Ruth Park series The Wide-Awake Bunyip, a popular feature of the program.
[22] His ready wit did not come out "on air" however, so Ida Elizabeth Osbourne successfully rewrote his character as the butt of jokes from the rest of the cast.
Children from Chatswood Primary School lined the streets as the funeral procession passed and his body was cremated.
[14] The Wide-Awake Bunyip series was terminated and restarted by Ruth Park as The Muddle-Headed Wombat with first Leonard Thiele then John Ewart in the title role and filling the vacancy in the Argonauts Club team.