Alfred Percival Bullen , circus director in Australia Bullen was born * 1896-02-08 in Kiama NSW Australia dead 1974-08-11 Penrith, in Australia ⚭ Married 1917 to Lilian Bullen born 1894 Botany in Australia . Alfred Percival Bullen (February 8, 1896 in Kiama, New South Wales – August 11, 1974 in Penrith, New South Wales was, along with his brothers, the circus founder of Bullen's Circus. Percival, also known as "Perc" was the son of Alfred Weston Bullen and his wife Alice, née Thomas from New Zealand. Percival married his wife Lilian in 1917. They had three sons, Stafford Bullen, Kenneth Bullen and Gregory Bullen and adopted daughter and son Mavis and Jules. Beginning with a merry-go-round Perc and his brothers started a travelling circus carnival. They travelled Australia and provided the learning step for Pers's sons to establish Australia's renowned African Lion Safari (Warragamba).
By 1922 the family had made enough money to organize their own circus. They travelled over dirt roads from one country town to the next in bumpy horse-drawn wagons. Their three sons Stafford Bullen, Kenneth Bullen and Gregory Bullen were born between 1925 and 1930 and followed the custom of travelling circus people. In the early 1930s the “Bullen Bros Circus” travelled mostly in Qld with a show that included its own brass band and a menagerie. Perc the ringmaster, also juggled and trained the "big cats". Lilian played the cornet, juggled, worked monkeys, dogs and horses, and with three young girls, appeared in a dancing troupe called “The Four Marzellas”. When she retired from the ring "Tiger Lil" took over the administration and worked hard to ensure her family's success. Lilian Bullen was divorced from Perc by the time she died of Cancer on 4 January 1965 in King George V hospital at Camperdown and is buried at Rookwood. She left over $170,000 to the Cancer Council of NSW. A famous early Australian circus. By Lyn Forde
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