A sister, Matilda Ray (c. 1790–1842), was a successful actor, married to the musician and composer Charles Edward Horn.
[1] Ray sailed to Australia by the Lady Eveline, arriving in Melbourne in October 1852 in company with three or four singers making up a choir, the "City of London Glee and Madrigal Union"[1] who staged a concert at the "Mechanics' Institution" on 4 December 1852.
[4] He established a print shop, operated by Harvey Roulston (founder in 1858 of The Richmond Australian),[5] William Fenton, and one Green, and founded the daily newspaper The Auction Mart Advertiser and in August 1855 the weekly Melbourne Punch, with Frederick Sinnett as editor and chief writer.
In 1863 he employed a team of artists to produce a great diorama Christmas in Old England which he exhibited in Melbourne late that year.
[11] The expected crowds failed to arrive;[12] in October he applied for a certificate of insolvency[13] and by 15 November George Coppin had taken over as lessee and J. R. Greville as stage manager.
This annoyed Edward Ledger, editor and proprietor of The Era, "The Actor's Bible", which had a columnist calling himself "Touchstone".