Gloria Dawn, an accomplished entertainer born on February 26, 1929, in Port Melbourne, was the only child of William Edward Evans, a theatrical artist from Melbourne, and Zilla Emma Edith Odlïng, originally from Bangkok. Travelling with her parents, renowned vaudeville performers known as Billy ‘Andross’ and Zilla ‘Weatherly’, Gloria began her stage career in infancy, impressively transitioning from Shirley Temple imitations to soubrette roles by the age of 13. Despite her busy schedule, she continued her education at a local convent while her family travelled. Gloria’s theatrical training stemmed from hands-on experience, and she became a brilliant mimic who mastered various performing styles—pantomime, vaudeville, cabaret, revue, musical comedy, and drama—though she chose never to perform in inappropriate contexts.

On January 15, 1947, she married Francis (Frank) Patrick Cleary, a variety artist, and raised their three children in a caravan before settling in a modest home in Rosebery, Sydney, during the mid-1960s, marking her first permanent residence. Although she separated from Frank around 1970 after the birth of their fourth child in 1969, she cherished family traditions and opted not to divorce.

In the 1950s, Gloria captivated a broad audience as the golden-haired ingénue in Sorlie’s traveling tent-show, starring in productions such as the pantomime Goody Two Shoes and musical comedies like Once upon a Mattress and The Sentimental Bloke, ultimately securing her title as ‘Australia’s First Lady of Revue’ through popular satirical performances at the Phillip Theatre in Sydney, notably A Cup Of Tea, A Bex and A Good Lie Down.

Gloria honed her timing and audience engagement skills through her work in revue and pantomime. Despite her petite stature of five feet, she possessed a powerful voice and displayed remarkable vitality, professionalism, and dedication to her craft. In her serious role as Oola in Peter Kenna’s The Slaughter of St. Teresa’s Day, she earned the title of best actress of 1972 from the Sydney Theatre Critics’ Circle, followed by acclaimed performances in Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Kenna’s A Hard God. Gloria also made her mark in film with appearances in They’re a Weird Mob and The Mango Tree.

Offstage, she remained considerate and humble, often knitting during her spare moments in production. She inspired the character of the motherly Doris in Kenna’s Furtive Love and, at the peak of her career, was content to make appearances at clubs and in television commercials.

However, after being diagnosed with cancer, she had to step down from the demanding role of Rose in the musical Gypsy and withdrew from her show at the Music Loft. When her illness became known, fellow actors organised a benefit night, raising $8000 to assist her. Survived by her two sons and two daughters, Gloria passed away on April 2, 1978, at King George V Memorial Hospital in Camperdown and received a Catholic burial in Botany cemetery.

Source: https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/dawn-gloria-9926
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Dawn_(actor)
Source: https://liveperformance.com.au/hof-profile/gloria-dawn-1929-1978/