Walter William Francis (abt. 1886 - abt. 1957)

Born about 1886 in Wales

Died about 1957 at about age 71 in New Zealand

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Biography

Walter William Francis was born in about 1886 in Wales, but a childhood accident is believed to have left with a crippled right leg. Not even this could stop the young Walter becoming a renowned athlete in his country. As a swimmer he rose to fame with many daring exploits including swimming the Bristol Channel in August 1912.

Walter Francis known as Skipper immigrated to Australia in 1913 due to bad health according to some reports. Others state he embarked on a World Tour appearing in music halls and theatres showcasing his own swimming exploits in movie reels and as a singer. He stayed on Australia to join the Vaudeville circuit in this country.

And when the Great War broke out he found himself a resident of Australia and wanting to do his bit for the war effort. He adapted the classic Auld Lang Syne to create Australia's own patriotic marching song to rival It's a Long Way to Tipperary and Keep the Home Fires Burning. His song titled Australia Will Be There or Auld Lang Syne - Australia Will Be There as it it sometimes called.

With it's reference to the great Australian victory of the HMAS Sydney over the marauding German Light Cruiser the SMS Emden in late 1914; it became the Patriotic Song the young country needed. However his original version of earlier in 1914 obviously didn't reference this event. But once he added this reference to his revised manuscript, he was on a winner. With the subsequent recording selling over a million copies. This flowed through to a windfall of $600,000 to the various charities he was helping.

From a 2018 article in South Wales Argus newspaper we see the following reaction attributed to him:

Skipper went on to claim that nobody was more surprised or prouder than him when the bands played “Australia Will Be There” for the first time in public as the crowds cheered the departure as the crowds cheered the departure of the Australian troops en route for Gallipoli.

Renowned for his beautiful baritone voice and accompanying himself on a steel guitar he continued to draw crowds to showcase the sporting prowess of his youth in boxing, wrestling swimming and cycling. His work even attracted the attention of the US press, gaining plaudits in the New York Times in 1919 and eventually an audience with a US President in 1948. After a voyage on the Lusitania he got to shake hands with the then President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Leading up to this he had embarked on another World Tour and eventually shifted focus to New Zealand. Where he chose to live and work for many years, still performing and doing his bit for charity when he could. Only returning to Australia sporadically as his health deteriorated in 1925, 1929 and later in 1952. He passed away in about 1957 in New Zealand, but as yet no Gravestone memorial has been tracked down. In some early reports a wife and children are mentioned, but as yet no references can be found to show who they were or where they ended up either.

Sources

• New Zealand Births, Deaths & Marriages: DEATH: registration no. 1957/29785 - name: Francis, Walter William - age at death: 71 years. from the New Zealand Governments: Births, Deaths & Marriages Online databaase. first accessed 30th of May, 2022 at: https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/

• Flashback: The singing swimmer who made a big splash by Tina White published: March 20 2020. on the STUFF website. first accessed online on the 30th of May, 2022 at: https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/stage-and-theatre/120410199/flashback-the-singing-swimmer-who-made-a-big-splash

• JOURNEY'S END: The story of Skipper Francis published 1st June 2018 on the SOUTH WALES ARGUS newspaper's website. first accessed online on the 30th of May, 2022 at: https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/16264001.journeys-end-story-skipper-francis/

• Australia Will Be There from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. first accessed online on the 30th of May, 2022 at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia_Will_Be_There

• Australia Will Be There World War I Patriotic Song - Skipper Francis 1914/15 (Video) from the REMEMBERING THE PAST AUSTRALIA website. first accessed online on the 30th of May, 2022 at: https://remembering-the-past-australia.blogspot.com/2019/04/australia-will-be-there-wwi-skipper-francis.html

• Advertising from The Riverine Herald (Echuca, Vic. : Moama, NSW : 1869 - 1954; 1998 - 2002) of Monday 30 March 1925, Page 1. first accessed on TROVE on the 30th of May, 2022 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/115101029?searchTerm=%22Walter%20William%20Francis%22%20Skipper%20Auld%20lang%20Syne

• "SKIPPER" FRANCIS RETURNS from The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954) of Thursday 9 May 1929, Page 13. first accessed on TROVE on the 30th of May, 2022 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/244440480?

• Air Trip Cures Paralysis from the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) of Friday 4 July 1952, Page 1. first accessed on TROVE on the 30th of May, 2022 at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/133184198?

• Holden, Robert, 2016, Australia Will Be There, from The National Library of Australia Magazine, June 2016 edition. National Library of Australia, Canberra, Australia. Available online at: https://www.nla.gov.au/sites/default/files/june-2016-magazine.pdf

• Australia Will Be There full manuscript and notated music

• "Francis, Skipper, 1886-1957" list of manuscripts held by the National Library of Australia.