Tent boxing
Encyclopedia
Tent boxing, an amusement commonly seen at agricultural shows throughout Australia
between the 1920s and the 1960s is an old Australian tradition that is barely kept alive today. Born in England, now banned in America, the outback is today the only place such an attraction can survive.
Traveling boxing troupes of professional fighters would travel the mining towns and outback of the country, following fairs and carnivals, putting up big top tents and taking on all-comers for cash in the ring.
and lastly, Fred Brophy’s, which today is the last surviving tent boxing troupe in the world. Fred Brophy, who owns the Cracow Hotel in Cracow, Queensland
, still travels with his troupe across Australia with his wife, Sandi, and son, Fred Brophy Jnr- the world’s only fourth generation tent boxer.
Only Jimmy Sharman’s troupe travelled for longer, starting his famous boxing troupe in Wagga Wagga in 1911 and touring the shows and country towns for six decades.
Fred Brophy insists he will continue travelling with his tent boxing troupe, until he dies, even though the sport was banned in 1971 by the government, due to health concerns.
In 2010, filmmaker Mark Shea made an online film about Brophy's Troupe for Australia's National Broadcaster, the ABC.
In 2011, a new documentary on Fred Brophy's final boxing tour in 2010 will air on the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Produced by Isabel Perez under production company Mindful Media, the 2-part documentary is written and directed by Paul Scott. Episode one premieres on Tuesday, January 11th at 8:30pm while part two will air on Tuesday, January 18th at 8:30pm.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
between the 1920s and the 1960s is an old Australian tradition that is barely kept alive today. Born in England, now banned in America, the outback is today the only place such an attraction can survive.
Traveling boxing troupes of professional fighters would travel the mining towns and outback of the country, following fairs and carnivals, putting up big top tents and taking on all-comers for cash in the ring.
History
Among the more famous of tent boxing troupes, are Roy Bell’s, Jimmy Sharman’sJimmy Sharman
James Sharman senior and junior were father and son Australian boxing troupe impresarios....
and lastly, Fred Brophy’s, which today is the last surviving tent boxing troupe in the world. Fred Brophy, who owns the Cracow Hotel in Cracow, Queensland
Cracow, Queensland
Cracow is a gold mining town in Queensland, Australia, in the Banana Shire Local Government Area. The town is located on the Theodore - Eidsvold road, 485 kilometres north west of the state capital, Brisbane. The town was named for a pastoral run, named in 1851 by pastoralist, John Ross,...
, still travels with his troupe across Australia with his wife, Sandi, and son, Fred Brophy Jnr- the world’s only fourth generation tent boxer.
Only Jimmy Sharman’s troupe travelled for longer, starting his famous boxing troupe in Wagga Wagga in 1911 and touring the shows and country towns for six decades.
A dangerous sport
Largely unreported on, little is known about early tent boxers and events due to participants and spectators being largely illiterate. In more modern times, very few photographs exist of the movement as organisers disapprove of media involvement.Fred Brophy insists he will continue travelling with his tent boxing troupe, until he dies, even though the sport was banned in 1971 by the government, due to health concerns.
In 2010, filmmaker Mark Shea made an online film about Brophy's Troupe for Australia's National Broadcaster, the ABC.
In 2011, a new documentary on Fred Brophy's final boxing tour in 2010 will air on the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). Produced by Isabel Perez under production company Mindful Media, the 2-part documentary is written and directed by Paul Scott. Episode one premieres on Tuesday, January 11th at 8:30pm while part two will air on Tuesday, January 18th at 8:30pm.