Walter Montgomery travelled to England as a youth where he worked with a shawl manufacturer in London and began his acting career in amateur productions. His first professional role was as Othello at the Princess Theatre in 1863, but his career did not flourish until his representation of Hamlet in 1865 at the Haymarket. This role won him widespread recognition, and in 1866 he left England to tour America, and then Australia.
Montgomery arrived in Melbourne in 1867. The Shakespearian actor, James Anderson, had been brought to Australia by George Selth Coppin and the contrasting acting styles of the two actors added life to an already existing enthusiasm for Shakespearian productions. Montgomery premiered on 20 July (see note below) and his Hamlet played to full houses. His 'natural' acting style was controversial and contrasted with Anderson's more traditional style and interpretation. In particular, their differing representations ignited ongoing debate about whether or not Hamlet was insane. Each actor attracted full houses as audiences flocked to successive Shakespearian productions and argued about the merits of each actor's performance.
Although his admirers were myriad, Montgomery also had his detractors. There was doubt about his sanity, and his flamboyant nature and vanity irritated many, in particular his constant references to his acquaintance with the Duke of Edinburgh during the Prince's visit to Australia in 1867-1868. These references even extended to Montgomery's will (see note below).
Montgomery toured New Zealand with Marian Dunn, before reappearing in Melbourne and Sydney in 1868. He invited Dunn to tour America and England with him but she declined, instead remaining in Australia to marry Marcus Clarke. Montgomery returned to England in 1871 and on 31 July began a season at the Gaiety Theatre, which he briefly managed. On 30 August he married the American actress Laleah Burpee Bigelow, who was later alleged to have been still married to her previous husband. Two days later, on 1 September, Montgomery shot himself. Although Montgomery had sustained significant monetary losses through his association with the Gaiety Theatre, the coroner believed there was insufficient evidence to conclude this was the cause of his suicide. The jury concurred and found Montgomery had committed suicide while of unsound mind. He was buried at Brompton Cemetery on 5 September 1871. His funeral was attended by a number of Australians.
Major source: Jean Gittins, 'Montgomery, Walter (1827–1871)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/montgomery-walter-4227/text6817, published in hardcopy 1974, accessed online 17 June 2014.
