Elsa Chauvel, OBE was an Australian filmmaker and actress, and the wife and collaborator of film director Charles Chauvel.
Elsa Chauvel was born Elsie May Wilcox in Collingwood, Melbourne, Australia onFebruary 1898. Her parents were Irish actor Edward Wilcox, also known by his stage name Edward Sylvaney, and Australian Ada Worrill. Elsa had an elder brother named Kyrle. In her early years, Elsa was often involved in her parents theatrical performances, often under the name Elsie Sylvaney. While still a child, Elsa and her family travelled to South Africa, where they formed a travelling troupe. Elsa and Kyrle typically portrayed children onstage, but also used makeup to play adults when necessary. When the success of the familys shows waned, they returned to Cape Town, where, in 1909, youngest sibling Terry was born. Following World War One, in which Kyrle fought, the family travelled to Johannesburg. Here, Elsa performed in chorus lines, and later appeared in such plays as The Thirteenth Chair, A Royal Divorce, and Sign of the Cross. Following a successful stage tour in Basutoland, the family returned
Source: Wikipedia