Amy Sherwin

A cabinet card portrait of the Australian soprano Amy Sherwin (1855-1935), known as the ‘Tasmanian Nightingale’.

Born Frances Amy Lillian Sherwin in Tasmania in 1855, she was taught singing by her mother. On 1 May 1878 she appeared with an Italian opera company at Hobart as Norina in Don Pasquale and made an immediate success. Proceeding to Melbourne with the company she sang Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor on 3 June 1878 and was received with great enthusiasm, though it was realized that her voice needed further training. During the next few weeks she appeared in other leading parts.
Proceeding to America in 1879 she created the part of Marguerite in the first performance in America of Hector Berlioz's work, The Damnation of Faust. She studied under several masters both in America and in Europe, and appeared at the promenade concerts in London in 1883. In 1885 she sang at Covent Garden and afterwards with the Carl Rosa Opera Company.

In 1887-9 she toured Australia, New Zealand, Japan, America and Germany with much success, in 1896 had a tour in South Africa, was in Australia again in 1897-8 and in 1902-3 toured with Kubelik. She subsequently revisited Australia, and in her later years taught singing at London where she died on 20 September 1935.

Photographed by the London Stereoscopic Company