Williams, David (Beatrice)
David (Beatrice) Williams (1935-2014)
David "Beatrice" Williams was one of Sydney's most iconic drag performers. Williams was born in London, but was evacuated to Ballarat, Victoria during World War II. He was at university in Melbourne in the 1950s and briefly owned a decorating business. In the early 1960s, Williams moved to Sydney to work with Leslie Walford, a prominent interior designer. His social life in Sydney centred on the 'camp scene' and Williams was soon performing at the Purple Onion in Kensington. In 1965, he purchased the Purple Onion from Ken (Kandy) Johnson for $1500, and transformed the venue into a vehicle for a series of his memorable shows, using the stage name, Beatrice. His first show, Hallelujah Beatrice, paved the way for a string of successful productions, which completely reimagined the drag shows of the late 1960s Sydney. After the closure of the Purple Onion, Williams moved to Europe and continued performing drag shows there. On his return to Sydney, he volunteered with the Community Support Network and the Positive Speakers Bureau, organisations that support people living with HIV and work to break down negative stereotypes about the disease.
Williams passed away in 2014 at age 79. In his Will, he generously gifted nearly $2 million to the University of New South Wales to support HIV research at the globally renowned Kirby Institute.
Photo: Supplied/David Williams
ORAL HISTORY RECORDINGS
Automated transcripts of our oral history interviews are available to researchers on request. For access, please contact us, stating the name of the interviewee, date of interview, and your purpose of use.