Australia Dancing - Pelly, Noel (1926

Pelly, Noel (1926 - 2003)

Seselja, Loui: Portrait of Noel Pelly, 1992

Noel Pelly was born in Albury, New South Wales, the third child in a family of four. As a child he saw many performances by the touring Russian Ballet companies between 1936 and 1940 but, after graduation from school and after completing tertiary training at the University of Sydney, he began his professional life practising law. He was admitted to practice in 1949 and continued his legal career until 1960.

Pelly was, however, drawn to public relations and took on a position as press representative with the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust. His long association with the Australian Ballet dates to this time when, late in 1961, he wrote the press release announcing the foundation of the company. He was the Australian Ballet's director of publicity from 1966, its deputy administrator from 1975 and administrator from 1983 until his retirement in 1991.

As administrator of the company Pelly negotiated several overseas tours for the Australian Ballet including the 1987 tour to Japan and mainland China, the 'Australia to the World' tour to the USSR, the United Kingdom and Greece in 1988 as part of Australia's Bicentennial celebrations, and the 1990 tour to the United States. Pelly worked beside five of the company's artistic directors, Peggy van Praagh, Robert Helpmann, Anne Woolliams, Marilyn Jones and Maina Gielgud. Pelly was a director of the board of the Australian Ballet from 1995 to 2000, and a member of the council of the Australian Ballet School.

Research Materials

Other resources

Find more about Pelly, Noel in:

Internet - Google
Collection - OzLife
Articles - New York Public Library Dance Collection
Pictures - Picture Australia