John Morgan Ralston (c. 1881 – 17 April 1933) was an Australian baritone (or perhaps bass-baritone) singer noted for his work in musical comedies and Gilbert and Sullivan operas.
Ralston was born in Brisbane, the second son of John Ralston (died 1908), a marine pilot. He began singing as a boy soprano at St Mary's (Anglican) Church, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane in 1894
He began acting with Pollard's Lilliputian Opera Company, led by Tom "Pollard" Sullivan, which toured Australasia and the East with considerable success until its disbandment in 1905 in Perth after a tour of South Africa (during which he married the company's danseuse). It was when he was engaged with this company that he came to the attention of J. C. Williamson, with whose Light Opera Company he remained the rest of his life; he appeared in operettas, particularly in Gilbert and Sullivan. His most memorable part came in 1924 when he played Franz Schubert in the Sydney premiere of Lilac Time and made it his own as far as Australia was concerned.
Though only 51 years old and having a magnificent physique, Ralston suffered from poor health and was forced to stand down due to heart problems during tours of North Queensland and New Zealand. He traveled with the company to Perth and played, to great effect, The Grand Inquisitor in The Gondoliers, The Sergeant in The Pirates of Penzance and Pooh Bah in The Mikado and was scheduled for the company's production of Lilac Time, but was unable to take his place on stage. He died in a private hospital in Perth and was buried in this city.
He married actress Rose "Rosie" Evesson, youngest daughter of Charles Evesson of Woollahra, New South Wales, in Durban, South Africa on 22 October 1903. They had three daughters, the first two were both actresses:
Their home was 26 Canterbury Road, St Kilda, Victoria. Mrs Ralston later lived with daughter Edna at 137 Ormond Road, Elwood, Victoria.
Gilbert and Sullivan
Australian compositions