Charles Cawthorne was a music-seller and concert manager. Born in Adelaide on 30 June 1854 he began studying the piano at 14 with Louis Ezelbach and violin with F. Draeger. He also became proficient on the bassoon.
In 1870 he began work with his father in a newsagent's business in Morphett Street. The firm became Cawthorne and Co. with father and son as partners in 1884. By 1887 Charles ran the business alone.
Cawthorne's were soon carrying sheet music from 60 publishers from England, France and Germany and they also stocked instruments, books, opals and fine art. The firm acted as a box office for most musical events in Adelaide and by 1900 was also printing and publishing original compositions.
Cawthorne also conducted the Adelaide Amateur Orchestra and acted as manager to a succession of Adelaide orchestras in the 1890s. In 1910 he was founder and conductor of the Adelaide Orchestral Society.
Cawthorne composed and had success with this piece, the Olivia waltz (named and dedicated to the wife of the South Australian Governor Sir William Cleaver Francis Robinson) and the Southern Cross Waltz.