Bill Wood (Senior), was a short fellow who followed the Wool Industry in the South West of Queensland as a Shearers Cook, his wife on the other hand was rather tall. Their son named Bill after his Dad was born in Toowoomba on the 16th July, 1908. Bill was actually christened Edmund Wood, like his father, and like his father became known to all as Bill Wood. Young Bill grew up around the Toowoomba area. What little schooling he got served him well in years to come. He also grew quite tall like his mother.
At an early age young Bill was always out and about looking for any sort of job that may bring in a few bob (shillings). When he was about 12 years old he asked a fellow about a job selling pies. He was told to come back when he was out of short pants. Bill promptly left and a short time later came back wearing long trousers. He got the job and that was Bill's attitude all through life. This was really the beginning of Bills working life. Over the many years to follow he was to become known under many alias names such as Billy Listo, The Great Listo, George Perino and Billy Lester.
Not long after his pie selling job we find he was running Brumbies and selling them any where he could. He turned his hand to any sort of job that came along as long as there was a bob or two to be gained. All the time slowly moving west till he came to the town of Mitchell where he was offered a job as a rouse about on Woodland Station. Woodland was just about to begin it's shearing. From there he followed the shearing work at the sheds all over the South West right through that shearing season. During this time his memory plagued him of a Carnival he had seen. One night around the fire he mentioned it to a fellow named Bob Oakey who was also following the shed season. The Shearing Season was almost over for the year and they decided to have a go at Showmanship and if they did all right it would be an easier life than the Sheds and chasing Bush Work.
Back in Toowoomba they set about getting an illusion show together and after a bit of practice produced their first show at Clifton. They moved from here to Warwick, but being new at the game could not get any ground space to show. Being short of money they hitched a ride to Lowood and spent two weeks picking Corn. Having completed that and a few bob again in their pockets they jumped the train to Bundaberg where they each got work with a showman.
Show trains were common in those days, where the complete train was full of Showman and their equipment or a Wild West Show or a Circus. Circuses were best to work for as when each act was completed it was loaded ready to go, and the last act and the dismantling of the tent was all that was left to load at the close of the show, whereas most other shows almost nothing was packed until after the last act. The boys followed the show circuit as far north as it went and back again learning all they could about running a show.
Back in Toowoomba Bill put his experiences together to get his own show on the road. When he was satisfied he opened his own first show at Crows Nest in 1928. He was now 20 years old. Bill had now picked up the skill of Hypnosis and was calling himself The Great Listo. The show mainly consisted of Magic and Music.
The good times of the roaring twenties were over, the economy was dropping way down. The effects of the Great Depressions were starting to take effect. Bill had also mastered the art of spruiking and quite good at it and so managed to help going through the Depression.
Another Showman known as Charlie McQuire (Joseph Charles McQuire) and his wife Harriet Rose had 4 children, or at least Harriet did. She had previously been a Poole. The 4 children Claude, Mona, Sunny and Allie, also had their own show. This too was an illusion show with Claude doing the spruiking, Allie was known at first as A-LO The Australian Bush Girl and worked what was known as The Snake Pit. She later changed her name to Alexie The Australian Bush Girl. Sometimes Mona would take her place in The Snake Pit. Bill came across them in the height of the Depression. They weren't doing too good. Houses were poor. Bill watched for a little while and then went up and offered to do some spruiking for them. They had nothing to lose and accepted. Bill soon got them a full house. Allie thought this fellow is good, we better not lose sight of him and try and hold him. A strong friendship developed between Bill and Allie and the pair married in 1933.
After their marriage, Bill and Allie were talking and wondering what to call their show. A friend who had joined in the discussion asked Allie what her maiden name was to which she answered Poole. Straight away he said well that's it. Why don't you call yourself Le Poole, and so that's how The Great Le Poole Show came about. This was also an illusion show. Mona also married a Showman, George Roberts, and had two children, Fredie and Marie.
At one stage Bill called himself Professor Blisto. He had a banner made up and the fellow made a mistake in the name and read Listo so Bill then called himself Billy Listo. At the close of the 1935 Show Circuit run, Bill and Allie put together their first full Tent Show calling it The Gaieties. This show hit the road early in 1936 and remained until the war forced them to shut down.
During the war years Bill worked around Brisbane doing mostly Troop concerts, Theatres and of course he had a couple of things going at the Fortitude Valley Fun Park including the big slide. It was at this time that Bill met up with and worked with Edgar Vernon, an American who also was looking for talent for the Troop concerts. About this time Bill also got to know Johnny Foster, often working side by side.
At the close of the war Bill and Edgar put together a travelling Tent Show calling it The Stars and Stripes. The show used Shirley Thoms as a draw card. The show was a great success and was also packed to capacity. By the close of 1946 Edgar and mostly all Americans had gone home and Bill thought that the show needed a change of name, but did carry on under the name till mid 1947. Shirley left the show and Monty Fay was now the Draw Card. The second half of 47 the show ran under the name of Lesters Follies. Bill was still working the major Show Grounds as well, and was still good mates with Johnny Foster who had show ground space fairly tied up. Bill often paying for Johnny's space which had to be paid in advance. Johnny always paid Bill back as soon as the show was over, but Johnny sad to say was well known as the man that can't hold money.
When Lesters Follies hit the road in January, 1948, it had two new artists. Zeta Brose the Yodelling Cowgirl who took the place of Shirley, and Gordon Parsons who took Mony Fayne's place as a Draw Card. On the shows return to Brisbane it lay off for a couple of weeks. Gordon went to Sydney and married Zelda Wisland, one of the Ashton Family. Gordon and Zelda returned to join the show for it's second run. On the second run the tent was blown to pieces in a violent storm which put it off the road again for two weeks. Gordon and Zelda left and Monty Fay rejoined the show for the remaining part of the year.
At the close of the run in 48 Bill's daughter Lexie and Zeta took work in a cafe till it began its 1949 run. While working at the cafe in walked Ron Peters who Zeta had met in 1947. She introduced him to Lexie who in turn introduced him to her father Bill which resulted in Ron Peters travelling with The Follies for the 49 run as Draw Card and Zeta Brose still billed as Queenslands Yodelling Cowgirl. At the close of the 49 run Ron married Lexie and left the show to go out with Eric Tutin, but came back to The Follies in 51. Zeta also left the Follies after the 49 run and went to Melbourne. The Schneider Sisters went out with the Follies in 50. Bill kept his show on the road but also increased his activities on the show ground.
The Showman always had a hillbilly draw card on the show grounds. At least at the major shows they would use the likes of Slim Dusty as Draw Cards. Slim Dusty put his Hall Show on the road in 1954. He had also become friendly with the Fosters, and although the 50's were good years, Slim must have had a battle to keep afloat because in 1956 Slim seems to have needed some help and a deal was made with Johnny Fosters son Frankie. Bill's son happy to split a show between them and follow the show circuit. Like Slim the Fosters had no money and Bill Wood financed the show but did say there would not be enough in it to split 3 ways and they could pay back the money when ever it was possible. The trio ran their Tent Show on the Show Circuit till 1963. By this time there was a disagreement on the amount of money each were putting back into the show and Slim left the partnership.
Bill can remember in 1956 still pulling full houses with his tent show and at one stage in Murwillumbah people paying full price for standing room only and hopefully seeing what ever they could from somewhere back in the crowd.
Bill eventually retired off the road but kept his place at the Exhibition Grounds and ran something there each year.
Bill was always a man of his word and always willing to help when and where he could. Bill again helped Slim Dusty when the Slim Dusty Movie was being made. In supplying free of charge most of the show banners and bill boards that were used in the section that covers the side show. Bill helped many a showman and gave many performers their first break.
In 1972 Bill was hit by a car but escaped unhurt. In 1991 he was involved in a car accident at Orminston. In 1992 while out walking he was hit by a hit and run driver. Luckily someone stumbled across him and rang the Ambulance. Bill woke up in hospital, the driver was never found.
Bill spent his last years living at his son-in-law's place and passed away in May 1993. Two months before his 85th birthday. Bill will always be remembered. His performing dogs, monkeys, magic, dancing girls, hillbilly artist, headless boy or girl, the spider girl, the haunted house, the list goes on and on. Respected and looked up to by all that knew him, he gave many a showman/showgirl their first break, be it Hillbilly or any other Vaudeville act. Country wise he introduced Monty Fame to the travelling tent show life. Likewise Shirley Thoms, although she had been around for a few years she had never travelled with a travelling tent show until Bill put together The Stars and Stripes where he stared Shirley. The same for Gordon Parsons. He had never travelled full time until he went out with Bills Lesters Follies. The same goes for Zeta (Brose) Burns and the Schneider Sisters and the list goes on. Bill or Edmond Wood his correct name, was awarded the Queensland Recognition in Country Music on the (Posthumous) 20th May, 2000.
Ó 7th July, 2001 by Ian Hands.
