Donald Smith (tenor)

Donald Sydney Smith OBE (27 July 1920 – 1 December 1998) was an Australian operatic tenor. His voice had a bright Italianate quality, which could match in size, carrying power and tonal allure the voices of most sopranos and mezzos. He attracted a fiercely loyal public following, and many Australians who had no prior experience of opera became opera lovers through Smith's work. His performances were regularly sold out with The Australian Opera at the Sydney Opera House.

Donald Sydney Smith was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, on 27 July 1920. Donald's early schooling and education was spasmodic and at around 10 years old, while in 4th grade primary school, he was removed from school by his parents (Donald Sydney Smith and Elizabeth Maud Smith - née Clarque), to help work on his family's milk run and dairy property.

At around the age of 12 years Donald was sentenced to the Westbrook Farm Home for boys (outside Toowoomba)in Queensland. Here he spent some seven months for the 'crime' of allegedly stealing and 'joy riding' in a friend's father's motor vehicle. Donald was incarcerated in this notorious place for a misdemeanor, that today would not rate even a reprimand, let alone a custodial sentence. He was subsequently released into the care of relatives (Leslie Robertson) of his mother, who lived at that time in Toowoomba Queensland. On his return to Bundaberg, and during this period in his early teenage years, Donald continued to educate himself whilst working as a sugar cane cutter on properties in and around the Bundaberg area.

When he was 18 years old, Donald met Thelma Joyce (Joy) Lovett, (who was 16 years old at that time), and who would remain together for the next 57 years, until Donald's death in a Brisbane nursing home on 1st December 1998. They were subsequently married in Bundaberg on 13 September 1941. Donald worked in the capacity as an apprentice sugar chemist for the Bundaberg Sugar Millaquin Mill. In 1942 their son Robin was born, and his two daughters Deanna Joy and Carol Beth were born in 1943 and 1945 respectively.

Donald enlisted in the WWll war effort on 20 December 1941, and was discharged from the 47th Australian Infantry Battalion of the Citizens Military Forces on 28 October 1943. During this period, he served in the Citizens Military Forces and the Australian Imperial Force, on continuous full-time war service, both in Australia and at Milne Bay, New Guinea. It was in New Guinea whilst serving as private and a machine gunner, that Donald was wounded in the right hand by friendly fire, after being mistaken for the enemy, whilst setting up range markers for the machine guns. He was first transported to an American-based hospital ship for treatment of his injuries. The Australian Army at that time were unaware of where he had been taken. Therefore, it was during this time that his wife Joy (who was on her way to hospital to deliver their first daughter Deanna), was advised by the Army that he was reported "missing in action, believed to be deceased". During recuperation for his injuries and after being repatriated to Australia, Joy was then advised that Donald was still alive.

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