George A Highland (1874-1954), theatrical producer, grew up in England, where, as a choirboy, he came to the attention of Arthur Sullivan. In his teens, he became the first person to sing Sullivan’s ‘The Lost Chord’ in a church. By way of New York, Highland came to Australia in 1917 and worked with JC Williamson. He was the producer of Maid of the Mountains, the smash hit production that made a star of Gladys Moncrieff in 1921. Shortly afterward, he produced Sally for the company. At the time of his death, he was credited with no fewer than 36 original productions of musical comedies and other plays, including Showboat, The Vagabond King, Rose Marie, The Desert Song and Katinka.
Updated 2023
