Hugh D. McIntosh facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hugh Donald McIntosh
Born	10 September 1876 Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
Died	2 February 1942 (aged 65) London, England, United Kingdom
Occupation	Theatre entrepreneur, sports promoter, newspaper proprietor

Hugh Donald "Huge Deal" McIntosh (born September 10, 1876 – died February 2, 1942) was a very successful Australian businessman. He was known for organizing theatre shows, promoting sports events, and owning newspapers. People often called him "Huge Deal" because of his big plans and projects.

Early Life and Adventures

Hugh McIntosh was born in Surry Hills, New South Wales, a busy area in Sydney, Australia. His father was a policeman from Scotland, and his mother was from Ireland. Hugh's father passed away when he was only four years old.

Hugh later shared different stories about his childhood. He once said he ran away at age seven to work as a silversmith's helper. He also claimed to have worked for a big mining company, BHP, when he was just nine! By the time he was seventeen, he was a chorus boy in a musical show called Sinbad the Sailor in Melbourne.

Becoming a Sports Promoter

McIntosh started his career working as a barman in Sydney in 1897. Soon, he began selling pies at sports events. By the age of 26, he owned a catering company. Then, he made a bold move and started promoting sports events himself.

His first big events were bicycle races, especially long seven-day races. He even brought famous American cyclist Marshall Taylor to race in Australia.

Boxing Events and the Sydney Stadium

Next, McIntosh got into boxing. In 1908, he quickly built a huge outdoor arena called the Sydney Stadium in Rushcutters Bay. He wanted to host a big boxing match when the US "Great White Fleet" (a group of US Navy ships) visited Sydney.

On Boxing Day in 1908, he organized a world championship heavyweight fight between Canadian champion Tommy Burns and Jack Johnson. McIntosh made a lot of money from ticket sales and from a film he made of the fight, which he showed in Britain and America.

In 1912, he built an even bigger, enclosed stadium at Rushcutters Bay. It could hold up to 12,000 people! McIntosh later sold his stadium business to another famous sportsman, Reginald "Snowy" Baker.

From 1914 to 1917, McIntosh also sponsored a trophy called the "Hugh D McIntosh Shield" for the New South Wales Rugby League.

Theatre and Entertainment

By 1917, Hugh McIntosh moved into the world of theatre. He led a group that bought the famous Tivoli theatre chain from Harry Rickards. He kept Rickards' style and company name, but he added a Tivoli theatre in Adelaide and built a new one in Brisbane in 1915.

To compete with other big theatre companies, he brought in international stars like W. C. Fields, who was known as "the world's greatest silent comedian." He also expanded the types of shows at the Tivoli, adding musical comedies, vaudeville, and pantomimes.

In 1920, he produced Australia's first musical comedy called F.F.F.. However, it wasn't very popular. Later, a transport strike caused him to lose money on a big show called Chu Chin Chow. He had to sell the lease for the Tivoli chain.

Newspaper Business

In May 1916, McIntosh bought The Sunday Times newspaper. This newspaper became a major way for him to advertise his theatre shows. With this purchase, he also got two sports newspapers, The Arrow and The Referee.

In 1915, he started his own theatre magazine called Green Room Magazine, which people nicknamed "The Tivoli Bible." He sold his newspaper interests in 1929.

Challenges and Later Years

By 1929, the Tivoli Theatres company was losing money. McIntosh tried to save his businesses by producing new shows like "The Follies of 1930." He even had famous performers like Roy "Mo" Rene and a young Robert Helpmann in his shows.

However, during the Great Depression, money was very tight. His company, Harry Rickards' Tivoli Theatres Ltd, ran into serious money trouble and closed down.

In 1930, a newspaper called "Truth" published an article about McIntosh. He sued the newspaper for saying untrue things, but the court only awarded him a tiny amount of money. During the court case, it was revealed that he had moved a lot of money from one of his companies to another to try and save the Tivoli chain.

In Politics

Hugh McIntosh was a close friend and business partner of William Holman, who was the Premier of New South Wales. McIntosh supported Holman in his newspapers and gave money to the Labor Party.

In 1917, he was given a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Council, which is a part of the government. He used the title "MLC" in his advertisements, but he didn't take much part in debates. In 1932, he had to leave his position because of his money problems.

Other Ventures

• He helped with movie projections and promoted the Italian film Cabiria.
• He managed a guest house called "Bon Accord" in the Blue Mountains.
• In 1935, he opened a "Black and White Milk Bar" in London. It was very successful at first, but when he tried to open more, the business struggled.

Personal Life

In 1897, McIntosh married Marion Backhouse, an art teacher. She stayed by his side through all his financial ups and downs. Hugh was a supporter of many hospitals and charities in New South Wales. He helped start the Australia Day Committee and was president of the Returned Sailors and Soldiers Imperial League of Australia for a time.

His wife, Marion, was also very active in social life. She traveled to the United States and was involved in patriotic groups like the Red Cross Society. She was also a long-time president of the New South Wales Ladies' Amateur Swimming Association.

Hugh McIntosh spent his last years in England. He passed away in a London hospital and was cremated.

Many people remembered him fondly. The famous actress Nellie Stewart wrote that he was "the most generous of men" and full of enthusiasm, like a "happy boy." She said he had a special way of bringing out the best in people.