Harold (Parks) Edwards (1886 - 1953)

Born 11 Mar 1886 in Kent Town, South Australia, Australia

Husband of Margaret Rose Jamieson (Wilson) Parks — married 6 Aug 1907 in Victoria, Australia

Husband of Mollie Doreen (Hughes) Roberts — married 9 May 1925 (to 1933) in Woollahra, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Helen Dorothy (Malmgron) Atwill — married 29 Mar 1934 (to Jul 1948) in St David's Presbyterian Church, Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Coral Magnolia Lansbury — married 20 Feb 1953 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Died 28 Aug 1953 at age 67 in Point Piper, New South Wales, Australia

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George (Parks) Edwards is Notable.

Biography

George Edwards (born as Harold Parks) was born on March 11, 1886 in Kent Town, South Australia as the elder son of Lewis Parks and Sarah Turbill.^[1] Edwards was a pioneer of the radio serial in Australia as well as an actor, comedian, showman and vaudeville performer.

He left school at age eleven and worked as an office boy with D. & J. Fowler, and later with Wood, Son & Co. In his early years he had a passion for acting and theatre and performed comic duets with his brother Albert Lewis (Lew).

By the time he was eighteen, Parks had left for England and had made a name for himself in amateur theatre and as a mimic. He returned to Australia after three years to musical comedy with J. C. Williamson Ltd at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne.

After becoming an arcobatic dancer and patter artist, Parks toured Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Africa, however he never achieved major success. Edwards became a featured entertainer on the Sydney Show Boat and made a number of short films in 1927-31.

Encouraged by Lew, Parks moved into radio and began doing comedy sketches, sometimes in partnership with his daughter Chandra. During this time he had changed his name to George Edwards, never clearing up the confusion between him and London theatrical entreprenuer, George Edwards. Around 1931 he advertised for a new partner for his comedy routines, and in early 1932 met Helen Malmgrom. She worked on the Show Boat with him and changed her name to Nell Stirling.

George and Nell moved to the commercial radio station 2UE in early 1933 and with writer, Maurice Francis, went to 2GB as the core of the George Edwards Players, masters of the melodramatic and comic serial. Edwards saved money by playing a variety of roles, which coined him the name 'The Man with a Thousand Voices'.

By the time Edwards had moved onto 2UW in 1936, he led the list of the ten favourite Sydney radio personalities. His final radio serial was Ralph Rashleigh in 1953.

George lost much of his wealth to horse-racing, alcohol and night club ventures. He contracted pneumonia and was hospitalised two days after he wed Coral Lansbury^[2], and died six months later of liver disease on August 28, 1953.^[3]

Marriages

Edwards was married four times in total:

• To Margaret Wilson on August 6, 1907.^[4] They had one daughter together.
• To Mollie Hughes on May 9, 1925.^[5] They had no children together. They divorced in 1933.^[6][7]
• To Nell Stirling on March 29, 1934.^[8] They had one daughter in 1942. They divorced in 1948.^[9]
• To Coral Lansbury on February 20, 1953.^[10] They had no children together.

Sources

1. ↑ Genealogy SA: Online Database Search 371/24
2. ↑ Trove: Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), George Edwards In Hospital
3. ↑ Trove: Advocate (Burnie, Tas. : 1890 - 1954), George Edwards dies suddenly
4. ↑ Births Deaths and Marriages Victoria 6805/1907
5. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index 7109/1925
6. ↑ NSW Government | State Archives & Records | Divorce papers Harold Parks - Mollie Doreen Parks
7. ↑ Trove: The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), IN DIVORCE.
8. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index 5887/1934
9. ↑ NSW Government | State Archives & Records | Divorce papers Helen Dorothy Edwards - George Harold Edwards
10. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index 673/1953

See also:

• Wikipedia: George Edwards
• Australia Dictionary of Biography: Edwards, George (1886-1953)
• Coral Lansbury's Dictionary of National Biography: Lansbury, Coral Magnolia (1929-1991)