What is Doug Ashton?
'''Douglas Joseph Ashton''' (19 November 1919 — 3 November 2011) was the owner of the world's longest family run [[circus]], and the oldest surviving travelling circus.<ref name=age>{{cite news |title=Final curtain call for legend of the Big Top |first=Pixi |last=Robertson |author2=Carman, Gerry |newspaper=[[The Age]] |date=5 November 2011 |url= |page=39}}</ref> [[Ashton's Circus]] was started by Doug Ashton's great grandfather, [[Joseph Henry Ashton]], in 1847. Doug Ashton was born into the circus and was on the road travelling when only six days old.<ref name=smh>{{cite web |url= http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/stage/circus-patriarch-ashton-dies-on-tour-20111103-1mxjs.html |title=Circus patriarch Doug Ashton dies on tour |first= |last= |work=[[Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=3 November 2011 |accessdate=7 November 2011}}</ref> Ashton, and his wife Phyllis, were both awarded the Medal of the [[Order of Australia]] in 1996 for their work for charity and the arts. He died in [[Perth, Western Australia]], while travelling with his grandson's circus, Circus Joseph Ashton.<ref name=smh/> Joseph Ashton trained [[Nicole Kidman]] to use the [[flying trapeze]] for [[Baz Lurhmann]]'s [[movie]], ''[[Moulin Rouge!]]''.<ref name=age/> ==References== {{reflist}} {{bio-stub}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Ashton, Doug}} [[Category:1919 births]] [[Category:2011 deaths]] [[Category:Australian entertainers]] [[Category:Order of Australia]]