Dancing Man

Lore & Background

The identity of the Dancing Man has been much debated. Frank McAlary, a retired barrister, claims he was the man photographed pirouetting in Elizabeth Street, Sydney, on 15 August 1945. Two legal figures, Queen's Counsel Chester Porter and former Compensation Court judge Barry Egan, both claim to have seen McAlary being filmed dancing. The television programme Where Are They Now?, produced by Australia's Seven Network, hired a forensic scientist who examined the film reel and picture and concluded it was indeed McAlary.

However, the Royal Australian Mint chose to portray Ern Hill as the dancing man on a 2005 issue $1 coin commemorating 60 years since the World War II armistice. Hill stated: 'The camera came along and I did a bit of a jump around.' The coin, sculpted by Wojciech Pietranik, does not bear any name. Rebecca Keenan of Film World Pty. Ltd. says the dancer may be Patrick Blackall, who has claimed 'I'm the genuine dancing man' and signed statutory declarations to that effect. Many others also maintain a claim, and the matter is not conclusive.

Frank A. Epton, a retired Chartered Accountant living in Alstonville, New South Wales before his death in February 2013, claimed he was one of the soldiers in the background of the still image (the soldier without a hat). Papers and photos found in his estate support his assertion.

Reader's Guide

The Dancing Man photograph and film have become iconic symbols in Australian history and culture, representing the joyous elation felt at the end of World War II. The image captures a spontaneous moment of celebration on 15 August 1945 in Sydney, when a cameraman noticed a man's joyful dance and asked him to repeat it for the Movietone News newsreel. Despite its fame, the identity of the dancer remains unresolved, with multiple claimants—Frank McAlary, Ern Hill, and Patrick Blackall—each supported by different evidence. The Royal Australian Mint's 2005 commemorative coin chose to depict Ern Hill, but without naming him, reflecting the ongoing uncertainty. The debate over the dancer's identity has itself become part of the story, underscoring how a single anonymous moment can take on collective meaning. The image is often compared to the American photograph V-J Day in Times Square, as both capture the spontaneous relief and joy of war's end. The Dancing Man endures as a touchstone of Australian memory, a reminder of a moment when a stranger's dance became a nation's symbol of peace.

Did You Know?

• The Dancing Man was filmed on 15 August 1945 in Elizabeth Street, Sydney, for an Australian edition of Movietone News.
• Frank McAlary, a retired barrister, was identified as the dancer by a forensic scientist hired by the Seven Network television programme Where Are They Now?.
• The Royal Australian Mint issued a 2005 $1 coin depicting Ern Hill as the dancing man, though the coin bears no name.
• Patrick Blackall has signed statutory declarations claiming he is the genuine dancing man.