[1] The son of an immigrant Polish Jewish pawnbroker,[2] Whelan was born in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1875 (as was his fellow music-hall performer Florrie Forde).

[3] He worked as an accountant and mechanic before moving with a friend in 1898 to the goldfields at Coolgardie, Western Australia, where the pair entertained the prospectors and miners by singing and dancing.

[4] He emigrated to Britain in 1901, making his debut in a novelty dance act at the Empire, Leicester Square, and later appearing in the musical The Belle of New York.

Immaculately dressed in bow-tie, hat, coat, scarf, tails, and gloves, he sang, danced and played the piano.

Whelan was acknowledged as one of the first entertainers to have a signature tune, appearing on-stage (and exiting at the end of his act) whistling Robert Vollstedt's waltz from Die Lustige Brüder ("The Jolly Brothers").