A LEIGH man who emigrated to Australia and helped to establish the first professional theatre company in South Australia, has died aged 79.
John Edmund, who had been suffering from prostate cancer, died from a stroke last Thursday, at hospital in Adelaide.
John, or Eddie Shuttleworth as he was known in Leigh, came to Australia in the early 1950s on tour with the Agnew McMaster's Shakespeare Company, and soon settled Down Under.
The son of an engineer, he fulfilled his childhood dream of running his own theatre and professional company when he set up Theatre 62, in 1962 -- Adelaide's first professional theatre company.
Panellist
John became well known around Adelaide for his eight years as a panellist with a popular Australian TV talent show, New Faces -- and his continued work with local theatre, including a lot of charity work.
In 1975 he left Theatre 62 and turned to academia -- where he spent many years as a lecturer in communications at Sturt College, in Adelaide.
John's cousin, Alice Cawkwell, from Wigan Road in Leigh, told the Journal: "It was a great shock to hear about John. His cancer had flared up again two weeks ago and he was waiting to see a specialist.
"John was massive over there in Adelaide, the local paper have just done a half page report on him. We're all so proud of everything he achieved over in Australia."
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