Western Australian Music Collection Highlights

Related Links

Here you can find some Western Australian music highlights in the following collections:

• Scores
• E-Resources
• Books
• Recordings
• Videos
• Ephemera & Archives
• Oral Histories
• Photographs

Scores

Refer to the WA Music page to find an overview of the collection and some useful searches.

• A brief history / The Waifs
  WA band with international appeal and reputation 
• The John Butler Trio songbook. Volume 1 / John Butler Trio
  Butler's band has achieved international success with its bluegrass alternative music. 
• The Rolf Harris Songbook / Rolf Harris
  So much a part of WA's musical heritage. 
• Esperance: for chamber orchestra / Carl Vine
  Vine is now one of Australia's greatest living composers. 
• Around the boree log / S. Moreno
  New Norcia's favourite musical son composed secular as well as sacred music. 
• It's a Long Way to West Australia!: camp Song / written and adapted by Wm. Duns
  Sergeant-Major William Duns was based at Blackboy Camp in the early years of World War I, where in addition to his military duties, he wrote songs for the troops. 
• The lights of Perth / Paul Babylon
  Written in 1962 to honour John Glenn's historic spaceflight over Perth.

E-Resource 

• WA Musical Memories Online
  State Library's digital archive of printable, historical Western Australian sheet music. 
• MusicAustralia
  National web-based music resource providing integrated access to Australian music print resources, recordings, websites and information.

Books 

• Apollo and the Pioneers
  A major reference work on the history of Western Australian music by A.H. Kornweibel, a music critic and journalist known as Fidelio. 
• Liverpool of the South Seas: Perth and its popular music / edited by Tara Brabazon
  Provides a snapshot of this cultural movement in the most isolated capital city in the world. 
• Love You to Bits and Pieces: Life with David Helfgott
  Written by his wife, Gillian, this book tells the story of her life with Western Australian pianist David Helfgott and purports to be "the true story that inspired the movie Shine". 
• What harmony is this? : 75 years of the Music Teachers'Association in Western Australia / by Ronda Jamieson.

Recordings 

• Eileen Joyce Recital
  Anthology of Goldfields-educated pianist's favourite and famous recordings. 
• Seasons of change: 1968-1972
  Original recording of The Valentines and Fraternity featuring Bon Scott. 
• If love's a sweet passion: masque & theatre music from C17 London
  Respected Western Australian soprano Sara Macliver's first album. 
• All this spirit in the land: traditional songs from the Kimberleys, Western Australia.
  Western Australia has a vibrant and active Indigenous music industry. 
• 60's Perth
  Features musicians such as Johnny Young & Kompany, The Valentines, The Troupadores and Ray Hoff & The Offbeats and produced on the famous Clarion label. 
• Born Sandy Devotional
  Rock group, the Triffids, scored a major success with this album which broke into the European market in the 1980s. 
• St. Mary's Church of England Girls' School Choir. 1964 carol service.
  Did your school choir release a recording? If so, we'd love to have it. 
• The Boy From Bassendean
  International entertainer Rolf Harris was born in Bassendean, a suburb of Perth. Features seminal works such as "Tie me kangaroo down sport" and "Six white boomers". 
• Australian composers
  Part of a series of vinyl discs released by the ABC in the 60's and 70's, this particular recording features clarinetist Jack Harrison performing works of Western Australian composers James Penberthy and Jennifer Fowler. 
• The America's Cup Album
  The America's Cup was won by Western Australia in 1983 and defended in Fremantle in 1987. Evocative music performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. 
• Rock and roll ain't evil / The Flairz
  Debut recording of Perth's youngest rockers. 
• Sarah / Eskimo Joe
  2007 ARIA nominee for Best Group 
• Guitar Meditations / Craig Ogden
  Classical guitarist with an international performing career.

Videos

• Portrait of an artist / Molly McGurk
  Iconic singer, teacher and pianist talks about her career. 
• The Joys of the Women
  Tells of Kavisha Mazzella's bid to find and preserve the songs of Italian immigrant women and the formation of the Fremantle Italian women's chorus.

Ephemera & Archives 

• Collection of material relating to choirs, musical groups and orchestras 
• Collection of material relating to the Royal School of Church Music, WA Branch 
• Collection of material relating to the University of Western Australia Music Society 
• Papers of Coral Gunning 1932-1989 Cabaret Performer

Oral Histories 

• Interview with Scott Wise
  Folk musician and instrument maker 
• Interview with Alice Carrard
  Pianist and teacher who taught David Helfgott 
• Interview with Sir Frank Adams Callaway
  Music educator and conductor, first Reader in Music at University of WA 
• Interview with Harry Bluck
  Musician, orchestrator, composer (pseudonym, Richard Johns), Union organiser

Photographs 

• Mucky Duck Bush Band, March 1978 
• ABC Orchestra Musicians and conductor 1950 
• Mackay family music-making 1913-1914? 
• Supernaut perform on stage 1977 
• Cellist, Derby Leprosarium orchestra 1948