Austral Florence Mary, born F.M. Wilson, *26 April 1892 Richmond (near Melbourne), †15 May 1968 Newcastle (New South Wales), Australian singer (dramatic soprano). She studied at conservatories in Melbourne (1914–18), New York, and London. In 1922, she made her debut at London’s Covent Garden Opera as Brünnhilde in Wagner’s Die Walküre. Initially, she used her stepfather’s surname, Favaz, but later adopted a stage name derived from her country of birth. Her career was mainly associated with English stages and concert halls, although she also performed in America (1925–26) and at the Berlin Staatsoper (1930), in the Netherlands and Australia. Austral’s best stage performances included the title role in Verdi’s Aida and parts in Wagner’s operas, especially Brünnhilde and Isolde. In 1940, she retired from the stage, and after World War II, she returned to Australia and lectured at the Newcastle Conservatory until 1959.
