It was always an exciting time when the circus came to town. In the 1950's most circuses were filled with many animals - there could be elephants, monkeys, horses, lions and once one of the circus's even had hyennas. The Big Tops were set up at different places around Carrum, McDougall’s paddocks and Canberra Street were popular spots. Ken Dahlstrom said they even used the empty paddocks next door to his house and once tethered the elephants to his house stumps. He said he can remember one of the elephants wrapping its trunk around his front tap and ripping it right out of the ground! He went on to say that he barely escaped with his life when he came face to face with a massive 4.5 tonne circus elephant. It was dusk and there were about 8 tethered in the next door paddocks.

Wirth's Circus Elephants.

Ken said he picked some grass and decided to see what would happen if he waved it front of one of the elephants. He said the elephant probably thought it was being taunted because before he knew it the elephant's trunk had come snaking out and had grabbed him by the arm. Ken said it felt like a vice and he had absolutely no chance of escape. He said he thought his arm was being torn out of its socket and he felt himself being lifted further and further up until he was suspended about 10 foot off of the ground.

A close up encounter with an elephant could have had a terrible outcome for Ken (each year elephants kill around 500 people.) ^[1] Ken firmly believed the elephant was preparing to dash him to the ground and trample on him. He said he thought he was going to be killed when out of the fading light a figure appeared - it was a circus worker who had been napping in one of the trucks and had been woken by Ken's yells.

The circus worker wasn’t just any old circus worker, Ken said his massive arms were heavily scarred. Ken swears to this day that his rescuer was no one less than the circus lion tamer.! The many scars on his arms bearing proof of his occupation. The lion tamer saved the day, he raced over to the elephant bellowing and then commenced prodding it with a great stick which had a large hook on the end. Fortunately, the elephant responded to the lion tamer's commands and slowly lowered Ken to the ground and released him. Ken reckoned he was very lucky and said he made a hasty retreat back into the safety of his house. He maintains to this day he has a healthy respect for elephants and has never tried the trick with the grass on them again! ^[2]

Brahma bull and buck riding was a favourite circus act with the Carrum Cowboys. There were always plenty of volunteers from among them. Jim Jones remembers anyone volunteering to ride would be strapped to a nervous horse that was restrained in a holding pen, its nostrils flared, ears flat, eyes wide and showing their whites and... then the gate would be opened!

Out in the ring the horse would become a thrashing and bucking machine in its desperate attempt to dislodge the rider from its back. Anyone game enough to get on a bronco’s back or a Brahma bull would be thrown around like a rag doll. They would hang on for their grim lives. Jim said it was a major feat to stay on them for any longer than a few seconds. He said himself and Robert Woodward were able to stay on the back of the bucking broncos longer than any of the other riders and became know as Carrum’s Champion Circus Buck Riders! ^[3]

Author

Carole Ross

ACKNOWLDGEMENTS

1. National Geographic News. 2005.http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0603_050603_elephants.html. Retrieved June 2010

2. Ross C. Interview Ken Dahlstrom, 2009.

3. Ross C. Interview Jim Jones, 2009.

Photo courtesy of

Chelsea Historical Society.