Page 28 - The Outdoor Showman July-September 2022

Into the Sunset
May they rest in peace.
Gone but they will live on in our memories, reflections, and stories forever.
Dorothy Isabell Mostyn 30th April 1934– 23rd August 2022
Lorraine Maynard
A remarkable woman, Lorraine Maynard.
Lorraine was a cherished family member, a wife, a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and mother-
in-law, also as a dear friend.
Not forgetting her enormous contribution to the circus industry in Australia as a performer and proprietor of Perry Bros. Circus which toured this country entertaining generations in
the magical way only circus can do.
Lorraine was born in the Crown Street Women’s Hospital in Sydney on the 21st of September 1938 to James and Nellie Perry. She was to be an only child but grew up in a large circus family, with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
From an early age, Lorraine had two great loves, animals and travel. Her mother used to say that every stray animal that Lorraine found she brought home. She especially loved horses
and as a young girl used to ride from the family property at Beaumaris down to the beach at Black Rock.
Lorraine enjoyed nothing more than travelling the country towns and outback places, entertaining people, just as
her ancestors had done for over a century. Like most circus children, she was educated by her mother and when the circus went into winter quarters at Beaumaris, Lorraine went to Mentone Girls Grammar School where she
won awards for her writing. She also taught Sunday School for a while.
In the 1950’s, Lorraine and her father James worked in Wirth’s Circus and for a short while ran Mills Circus in partnership
with lifelong friend Dick Bills. Later, they started their own show, calling it Perry Bros. Circus, keeping the well known family name going. Lorraine did a single trapeze, and acts with her horses, Penny and Model. She was the horse groom and worked like a man alongside her dad to keep the show on the road.
When the circus performed in South Australia, Fred Maynard from the Lloyds Circus family joined the show doing his rope spinning act. With so much in common, it wasn’t too many months before they were engaged. When the circus got to Charleville in Queensland, Lorraine and Fred married in the Church of England on the 31st January 1961. A partnership that was
to last 61 years and produce three children - Perry, Yasmin and Tony.
With the family now numbering 7, the circus traversed Australia. Lorraine performed a double trapeze act with her mother, presented ponies, donkeys, camels and dogs and continued
to be the horse groom. Although tough, they were the best of times.
Lorraine was heartbroken when in August 1984, she lost her beloved father, James, who passed away in his caravan beside his devoted wife Nellie, in the circus they had built together. The family pulled together, taking on other roles and kept the circus going. Heartbreak again in July 1997 when Lorraine lost
her mother Nellie whom she had cared for on the circus after several strokes.
It is beside her mother that Lorraine
is being laid to rest here today.
During her 70+ years in the circus,Lorraine was not only a performer and proprietor but drove trucks, worked on the tent, made costumes, sold tickets, worked
the canteen, did advance work, cared for the animals, taught correspondence school, raised 3 children and much more. She was a woman of strong faith, courage and resilience.
The circus finally closed in 2011, and Lorraine retired to her farm here at Greta South, joining Fred who had retired some years earlier. They were surrounded by their animals and had close friends nearby which kept them going but always missed the circus life.
A source of great love for Lorraine
was her 5 grandchildren. She could often be heard telling people of their achievements, and how proud she was of them and the people they had grown into. Becoming a great grandmother took that love to another level, she
was filled with joy and always looked forward to a visit from them all.
Lorraine’s life was well lived and filled with love and laughter, triumph and tragedy and more adventures than anyone would ever believe. She made friends from all walks of life and loved listening to their stories as much as she loved telling hers. She had been writing her memoirs for
the past few years and so it is only fitting that she should have the final words.
“A baby girl was born to Jim and Nellie Perry and little did she know of the wonderful life she was about to lead”.
THE OUTDOOR SHOWMAN 27