Letty Katts collection, 1935-2006

Violet Mellick, better known under her professional name Letty Katts, was a pioneer Queensland songwriter and musician of the Australian music scene. She composed the songs "Man From The Never, Never", recorded by Slim Dusty and the first all Australian song to top the radio hit parade, and "A Town Like Alice", the well-known Australian song from the 1956 movie of the same name. Letty was born in Brisbane in 1919 to Anton and Lucretia Katts, attending firstly Enoggera State School and then Somerville House in South Brisbane. She married John Stanton Davis Mellick on December 7, 1941 at Ann Street Presbyterian Church. Letty died on 19th September, 2007. State Library of Queensland's Letty Katts Award supports the research and documenting of Queensland's music history.