Julia Mathews

Julia Matthews or Julia Mathews was an English actress and singer who was popular on the stage, particularly in Melbourne.

Life

Matthews was born in London in 1842. Her parents were Sarah and James Mathews. Her father was a sailor who also made artificial flowers. The family moved to Sydney where she made her debut on the stage of the Royal Victoria Theatre.
She received and refused a marriage proposal from Robert O'Hara Burke in 1860, shortly before the Burke and Wills expedition. Burke had made her his sole heir. She was one of the first to call for a search party. Matthews died aged just 33, in St. Louis, Missouri.
She was played by Greta Scacchi in Burke & Wills and by Nicole Kidman in Wills & Burke.
It has been claimed that the film actress Jessie Matthews was a descendant.