Marion (Bill) Edwards
Marion (Bill) Edwards | |
|---|---|
_Edwards_sketch.webp) | |
| Born | March 19, 1874 |
| Died | March 22, 1956 (aged 82) |
| Nationality | Australia |
| Known for | "Australia's first transgender celebrity" |
| Spouse | Lucy Minihan (born Repacholi) |
Marion (Bill) Edwards aka William Ernest Edwards (March 19, 1874 – March 22, 1956) was an Australian transsexual who worked as a barman, pony trainer and bookmaker. Edwards has been described as "Australia's first transgender celebrity".
Life[edit]
Edwards was said to be born in the United Kingdom but the ADB biography records the birth as being in Murchison in Victoria in 1874.[1]
Edwards went through a marriage ceremony at St Francis' Church, the oldest Catholic church in Melbourne on the millennial New Years Day in 1900.[2] The bride was Lucy Minihan whose birth name was Repacholi. Minihan was a 30 year old widow who owned a lodging-house. The couple separated but Lucy remained a friend. When Edwards was first arrested in 1905 suspected of a hotel burglary it was Lucy who found the £50 required to pay the bail. Edwards however ignored the obligation to appear in court and went to Queensland, so it was Lucy who was sentenced to a month in jail.[1]
In 1906 Edwards came to notice after "William Edwards" was arrested again. Edwards was accused of burglary. The arresting officer Constable Donnely had known Edwards for some time as a man who worked at a local bar. Donnelly was later told that the person he had arrested was a woman. The charges were later dismissed.[3] Edwards was profiled in a Brisbane weekly newspaper in October 1907.[4]
Edwards wrote a biography that was designed to sell as it was partly fiction. The book was titled Life and Adventures of Marion-Bill-Edwards, the most celebrated Man-Woman of Modern Times. Exciting Incidents… Strange Sensations told in a Graphic Manner by Herself. and it included photographs of Edwards wearing men's and women's clothing. The book was published in 1907.[5]
Edwards was profiled by the media, continuing the idea of a birth in Wales. Edwards explained that one of the reasons for dressing as a man was that women generally earned a pound a week and as a man Edwards earned over two.[6]
Death and legacy[edit]
Edwards died in 1956 in the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Edwards' final years were in the Mount Royal Geriatric Home. Edwards was not allowed to wear male attire there.[1] In 2020 ABC made a radio programme entitled "Meet Australia's first transgender celebrity".[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Colligan, Mimi, "Edwards, Marion (Bill) (1874–1956)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 2023-09-23
- ^ Willet, Graham; et al. (March 2021). A History of LGBTIQ+ Victoria in 100 Places and Objects (PDF). Heritage Queer Achives. p. 170. ISBN 978-0-6451287-0-3.
- ^ Rogers, Destiny (2019-08-24). "'She liked her own sex — and they liked her'". QNews. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
- ^ "Marion Edwards". Weekly Times. No. 1, 940. Victoria, Australia. 13 October 1906. p. 8. Retrieved 2023-09-23 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Edwards, Marion (1907). Life and Adventures of Marion-Bill-Edwards: The Most Celebrated Man-woman of Modern Times ...
- ^ "MARION ("BILL") EDWARDS". Morwell Advertiser. 1908-01-10. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
- ^ "Meet Australia's first transgender celebrity". ABC listen. 2020-07-29. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
