Original diva Anna Bishop, a daring contemporary of Queen Victoria, shattered expectations and redefined independence when she left her famous composer husband to forge her own artistic path. Bravely defying the social norms of the time — and forced to leave her beloved children behind — she toured the globe with her genius harpist lover, surviving shipwrecks, tiger attacks, boom-and-bust fortunes, and epidemics.

This early suffragette and woman of many firsts, with her “who dares wins” attitude to life, blazed a trail for others to follow. Her story is woven into our colonial history and character.

Canberra singer SarahLouise Owens, with pianist Lucus Allerton, bring Anna’s extraordinary journey to life through songs and arias of the era — such as Home, Sweet Home, the Lucia mad scene, and The Last Rose of Summer.