Con Colleano

Con Colleano
Born
Cornelius Sullivan

(1899-12-26)26 December 1899
Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Died13 November 1973(1973-11-13) (aged 73)
Miami, Florida, U.S.
OccupationTightrope walker
SpouseWinifred Constance Stanley Trevail

Con Colleano (born Cornelius Sullivan; 26 December 1899 – 13 November 1973) was an Australian tightrope walker. He was the first person to successfully attempt a forward somersault on a tightrope, and became one of the most celebrated and highly-paid circus performers of his time. He was known as "The Wizard of the Wire" or "The Toreador of the Wire". He performed with his nine siblings and a cousin as a circus troupe, touring Australia as well as in South Africa, Europe, and the United states between 1930 and 1950. A 2025 documentary film about the family by Pauline Clague, The Colleano Heart, premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2025 and was broadcast on NITV and SBS Television in January 2026.

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