Will Rogers early career into show business was partly in New Zealand. After being in Texas Jack’s Wild West Shows in South Africa, Will got a letter of recommendation from Texas Jack and headed to Australia and New Zealand to perform with the Wirth Brothers circus in 1902-3.
“I was with Worth Bros. circus and we played everything from Wyapuckerou, in New Zealand to Killgooly, or something like that away out in the west of Australia.” – Weekly Articles, 1933
“I left home as a Kid and traveled and worked my way all through Argentine, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand and was three years getting enough money to get home on. But I never found it necessary to have my AMERICAN rights protected. Nobody invited me into those Countries and I always acted as their Guest, not as their Advisor.” – Weekly Articles, 1925