Austral Groves Wilson

Austral Groves "Strella" Wilson OBE (19 December 1894 – 10 February 1989) was an Australian soprano, World War II troop entertainer, and radio personality.

[1][2] Her father was Harry Wilson Carpenter, a mining engineer from America, and her mother was Anne née Skewes from South Australia.

[3] Wilson was later taught singing by Agnes Janson before studying at the Albert Street Conservatorium in 1915 under Nellie Melba.

[5] In 1919, Wilson made her first professional performance in Melbourne as Leonora in Il trovatore with Fred Rigo's Grand Opera Company.

[2][6] In New York she studied with Yeatman Griffith and learned about voice production and acting by attending rehearsals of operas.

At Drury Lane she played Princess Mirabelle in Cavalcade, which was a role written especially for her by Noël Coward.

During and shortly after World War II, she was a troop entertainer touring the Northern Territory, New Guinea, and gave 104 performances in Hong Kong and Japan.

Miss Strella Wilson is offered a mug of tea after her arrival in New Guinea.
Miss Strella Wilson is offered a mug of tea after her arrival in New Guinea.