Was born on the 19th of July, 1925, about a month after June Holm, the famed Brisbane born girl. Another great artist of that year was Shirley Thorns, born in Toowoomba on the 12th of January, 1925. What a great year for country music 1925 was!

Cora was born just out of Toowoomba at Pittsworth. In 1932 her father took up a farm at Motley and that’s where Cora began her schooling. When the Motley school closed down, she then went to the school at Mt. Tyson.

When Cora was about fifteen years old, her father bought her her first guitar - a steel guitar - and she went to Eric Tutin, who gave her two lessons on how to play it. From there she took it on herself and learned by listening to records and the radio.

Cora pulled her weight around the farm and found that while driving the tractor, and away from all the wise cracks, was an ideal place to learn to sing and yodel new songs. One evening while looking at the evening star, she decided to call herself "The Lone Star Cowgirl." About this time, Gene Leroi was running shows in the Toowoomba area, one of which was the Midday Show at the Town Hall, which went direct to air over 4GR. Eric Tutin became musical director of this show and arranged for most of the artists who made appearances. One outstanding artist was Joan Martin, who later teamed up with Eric as "The Sundowners." Eric also saw great potential in Cora Ruhle, who almost overnight had gained enormous popularity. Eric began booking her and often worked her with Joan and himself.

When is Brisbane, Cora recorded six tracks in the Vita Tone Studio, four of which were of her own writing, "Just a Lonely Mother," "The Quiet Life in The Country," "Evening Star on the Pampas," and "My Sweetheart in Khaki." She was asked to record commercially and if she had done so, she would have beaten Shirley Thorns to being the first woman to record.

When Eric and Joan went to Sydney to record, they took Cora with them, working Brisbane and the Gold Coast, etc. on the way.

The Sundowners recorded at Homebush in June 1942 and Arch Kerr was interested in having Cora record as well, but her mother was worried about her and had asked her to return home, which she did. That too was the end of the Sundowners. As soon as that recording session was over, Eric and Joan each went their own ways.

Back in Toowoomba Cora got a job as Bar Attendant at the Imperial Hotel, which has since become a Monastery. She also went back performing at the Midday Show and various other venues around the Downs. This time she began doing a lot of work with Smokey (Merv) Miller. She also entered and won her heat in Australia’s Amateur Hour.

One night in Brisbane she noticed a guitar in the window of Drouyn’s - a guitar that she decided she wanted. So when back in Toowoomba, she made contact with Drouyn’s and made arrangements to trade her steel guitar for the one she had seen, a Harry Mason, which she still has today.

1947 : Marshall Palmer was booking her and procured for her a six month contract entertaining at Cloudland, followed by the Cremorne and Majestic Theatre. She toured with Tex Morton, the run terminating at Coolangatta, where they showed for a week. She also toured with the late Buddy Williams and worked with Smokey Dawson on 4GR. The records she produced at Vita Tone were well used over radio, but like so many others, they have disappeared with the passing of time. The years of 48, 49, and 50 were full of activity and passed quickly. Mr & Mrs O’Brien, who ran the Imperial Hotel moved to the Blue Mountain Hotel after the sale of the Imperial and Cora went with them. She still kept up her entertaining and it was while at the Blue Mountain Hotel that she formed her own band, calling it "The Lone Star Band."

Her next move was to Coolangatta, where she became manageress of the Coolangatta Hotel for 8 years, followed by a car detailing arrangement for Bill Chadwick at Tugun. All this time she was still entertaining.

When her father passed away she went back to Toowoomba, to the house the family moved into when they sold the farm. Here she occasionally picked up the same guitar that she bought at Drouyn’s all those years ago.

Cora Ruhle sadly passed away in Toowoomba on the 12th June, 1996. Three of her songs were released on the QCS label by Zeta Burns on the 9th May, 1998. Zeta had known and worked with Cora away back in the late 40’s. They lost contact over the years, but regained contact in the late 80’s. It was sad to see another one of those pioneers that led the way pass on.

Ó July, 2001 by Ian Hands.