Philip Parsons AM 1926-1993

In 1992 Philip Parsons and Katharine Brisbane received the Sydney Critics’ Circle Award in recognition of their services to Australian theatre. Philip Parsons’ last major undertaking was Currency Press’s monumental Companion to Theatre in Australia. This massive 700-page Bicentennial publication incorporated 1,200 authoritative articles from 200 expert contributors, all overseen by Parsons, who was general editor. Sadly, he did not live to see its publication.  

Philip Parsons died on 20 January 1993, a short time after the announcement that he and his wife had been made Members of the Order of Australia. Later in the year the NSW Ministry for the Arts instituted an annual Philip Parsons Memorial Lecture on the performing arts. His widow gave the first on 1 December 1993. Later speakers have included Wayne Harrison, John Derum, Richard Wherrett, Neil Armfield, Robyn Nevin, Stephen Page, David Hare, David Marr and Sandra Levy.

For a while after her husband’s death, Katharine Brisbane continued to head the Currency enterprise. In 1998 the business moved into larger premises at 201 Cleveland Street, Redfern, which has been transformed into a centre where writers, musicians, film-makers and designers can interact and work together. In 2001 Katharine Brisbane incorporated a non-profit association called Currency House Inc. to provide a network for workers in the arts, encouraging research and raising the standard of informed debate in public policy-making.

The Parsons’ two children are both active in the arts, Nicholas as a theatre director and playwright, and Harriet as a visual and installation artist.

In September 1991, in celebration of Currency’s 20th birthday, Sydney’s theatre fraternity got together to present ‘an actors’ tribute’ to the Parsons at the Wharf Theatre. Nick Enright wrote a loving prologue, which was spoken by Ruth Cracknell. It concluded:

True lovers these and, be it understood,
The press they founded for our current good
Has seen out twenty years and scores of plays.
Now let our rusty bugles sound their praise:
For we salute you, with humble hearts and glad,
Katharine and Philip, the Currency Lass and Lad.

Frank Van Straten, 2007