Smoky Dawson - Biography

Biography

Smoky Dawson was born as Herbert Henry Brown on 19 March 1913 in Collingwood. His father, Parker Frederick Peter Brown (21 November 1884 – 1957), was a labourer of Irish descent; his mother, Olive "Amy" Muir (ca. 1880–June 1919), was of Scottish descent. His parents married in 1905, and they had five children, Leslie Muir Wood "Les" (1904–1920), Laura Olive Emily (1906–1941), Peter Frederick James (1908–1972), Herbert Henry "Herbie", and Edward Parker Peter "Ted" (aka Ted Dawson) (1915–1978). The Browns initially lived in Melbourne and briefly moved to the rural area of Warrnambool. His father, Parker Brown, also worked in a dispensary, and had performed as a baritone under the name, Frederick Parker, at the Bijou in Melbourne. Parker had studied as a medical student before serving in World War I. He enlisted in the Australian Army in June 1915 and fought at Gallipoli from October until January 1916. He was diagnosed with neurasthenia and was discharged in August 1916 on medical grounds. Dawson later remembered, "y dad went to Gallipoli ... but unfortunately he suffered a lot from it and so did the family". In June 1919 his mother, Amy, died of unspecified causes and the following year his brother, Les, died by drowning on Christmas Day. By that time his father had remarried.

Parker was prone to heavy drinking and violence, Dawson repeatedly ran away from home after his beatings. Once he was nearly choked to death, ran off and, after being caught, he was chained in a dog's tent by his father. From the age of eight or nine he was "making up little ditties" which soothed him. At about nine-years-old, Dawson was so severely beaten that he ran away from home again. He travelled to his mother's family, the Muirs, in Melbourne and was sent, by a court order, to live for three years at St. Vincent de Paul's Boys' Orphanage, South Melbourne. It was administered by the Catholic Church's Christian Brothers, Dawson was baptised in that faith and took a confirmation name, Aidan. For school holidays he was sent to a farm near Birregurra run by the Carews. He had learned to sing at the orphanage and Jack Carew taught him to play the harmonica and piano accordion. At the age of thirteen Dawson left the orphanage to join his older brother, Peter, working on a farm at Stewarton (about 8 miles (13 km) from Goorambat). Each Saturday night he would sing at the local town hall with a repertoire that included "Funiculi, Funicula", "Little Brown Cottage" and "Good Morning, Good Morning".