Please note: This blog post has drawn upon information from photographic and print resources whereby the names of managers and deceased persons from former orphanages, secure health institutions, and penal institutions may have been mentioned. Also, there are depictions of the recreational activities of such institutions described in this blog post.
Introduction:
The clock in the prison tower strikes the hour of midday. The prison brass band – a dozen trained prisoners – has fallen in on the grass plot in the central quadrangle. At a signal from the official in charge it bursts into an inspiring rendition of Off to Glory march. There may be dilletante criticism of the music’s aesthetic quality. There can be no doubt of its volume and its lilting spirit. (“A NEW PENTRIDGE.”, 1923)
In the previous post on bands in institutions, music was seen as a worthwhile recreational activity whereby listening to music or making music was very much encouraged. This post focuses on one of Australia’s unique bands which was established in Pentridge Prison.
Pentridge Prison really needs no introduction as an institution as innumerable stories have sprung from its bluestone walls. It was not a place that immediately springs to mind as a place for music-making. Yet that is exactly what happened in the early 1920s. Pentridge Prison became the institution that hosted the fourth prison band in the world.
Musical Reform:
Up until the early 1920s, Pentridge Prison was operated like many other prisons in Victoria under the governance of the Penal and Gaols Department. Reports on the on Victorian prisons from this time were not very informative and focused mainly on statistics – the reports of 1922 and 1923 being prime examples (Penal and Gaols Department, 1923, 1924). Conditions for the Victorian prisoners were hardly humane as prisons “had been designed to ensure prisoner separation” (Paterson, 1997, p. 134). However, as Paterson (1997) and Wilson (2014) identified in their respective research papers into the history of Victoria’s prison system, it is in the early 1920s when the Penal and Gaol Department, and Pentridge Prison, underwent a series of reforms. The key to these reforms was prisoner education and music-making was a strong part of this.
Efforts by people such as Mr. Gibson Young, an eminent Melbourne musician with strong managerial skills and an association with the brass band movement, sought to bring music into Pentridge through community singing. In 1921 he had the full intention of running community singing in the gaols.
Now that the Music Week organisation has been placed on a more or less permanent basis, my executive committee is anxious to do all in its power to bring the good tidings of music into every department of civic life, and realises that no better opportunity for upliftment exists than among the prisoners in our gaols. (Young, 1921)
The band:
While community singing was useful as an ad hoc form of recreation and a break in the prison routine, The new governor of the Pentridge in 1922, Major Walter Condor, had bigger ideas and he wanted to form a brass band. His plans were outlined at the of the Tattersalls Club in Melbourne where he was trying to solicit donations for three pianos at Pentridge (“PIANO FOR PENTRIDGE“, 1922). Major Condor, having previously overseen the A.I.F. camp at Langwarrin, had very firm ideas about making Pentridge a much more humane place for the prisoners and introducing educational reforms.
To the strains of “home, Sweet Home,” Victorian criminals may yet be welcomed back to the prisons after new convictions. The provision of music for prisoners is one of the ideals of the governor of Pentridge Major Condor, and he hopes for much from such an experiment in the reclamation of the State’s “Bad Hats.”
[…]
Major Condor said that one of the most humanising things was work, and next to that was music. (“PIANO FOR PENTRIDGE“, 1922)
Ten days later, Major Condor gained further support for a brass band at a conference of the National Federation at Ballarat where some delegates thought it was a very good idea. A Dr. Booth thought his “idea was a good one” and that “It was essential that the prisoners should not only have plenty of work to do, but the mind should be occupied after working hours.” (“A PRISONERS’ BAND.”, 1922). And so, the brass band at Pentridge was created.
At first the band was conducted by Mr. Gibson Young, and he had obviously used his contacts in the brass band movement to get the instruments and music that were needed – the Coburg Brass Band and Malvern Tramways Band were two bands that are mentioned as having donated these items (Cremona, 1923). Mr. Young, who was associated with the Malvern Tramways Band, had apparently “remarked that Major Condor might try to inveigle members of the Malvern Tramways Band into Pentridge to strengthen the personal of his band” (Cremona, 1923). One wonders what Mr. Harry Shugg, then conductor of the MTB, might have thought of this remark (if he knew about it).
An article published in TheHerald newspaper in February 1923 gives us some insight into the way music has begun to transform life at Pentridge.
There are already 15 men in the band. Some of them have had experience in regimental bands, some of have been connected with various bands that are not known in Pentridge. Others have just “taken to music” as the best means of whiling away the time until they can know again outside of the walls. (“PRISON DE LUXE“, 1923)
By April 1923, the work that was taking place at Pentridge was noticed by the Chief Secretary, a Mr. Baird who was most impressed with what he saw in the music-making and the effect it had on prisoners (“IMPROVEMENTS AT PENTRIDGE“, 1923). And some months later, Pentridge was a prison that was well on the way to reformation, all under the watch of Major Condor (“A NEW PENTRIDGE.”, 1923). Mr. Gibson Young, the bandmaster of the prison band and conductor of the community singing, left his position (and Australia) in September 1923 and was presented with a gold-mounted baton by the band (“GAOL MUSIC“, 1923).
Major Condor left the prison in November 1923 to try a new career radio broadcasting (Thomas, 2006). While he had only been governor at Pentridge for eighteen months, he had overseen substantial reforms that benefited the prisoner population and facilities.
He gave the prisoners more healthful surroundings, brightened their quarters, permitted slight decorations of the cells, and with a colour scheme has banished gloom from the long corridors. He gave them a brass band, Saturday and Sunday concerts, taught them games, improved their methods of working at trades by installing electric machinery in the shops, and increased their self-respect. (“MR. CONDER.”, 1923).
On a slightly humorous note, a letter was published in the Labor Call newspaper apparently from a prisoner at Pentridge. In this letter, he provides his ‘opinion’ on the band.
Our brass (very brass) band keeps a fellow from getting the “blues,” except when they play “Home, sweet home.” We are going to petition against the tune, as it only applies to the “Gov.” himself – he has a good home here. (No. —, 1924)
The band at Pentridge prison kept going from strength to strength at from these early years and were noted by all that saw them perform. They were, or course, part of a bigger picture of reform at the prison, and Pentridge was no longer seen as a dull institution (“AN HOUR IN PRISON.”, 1927). The band had established themselves quite a bit over the subsequent years, to the extent that the Governor of Pentridge at the time, Mr. J. Brown, thought that the prisoners at Pentridge led all other prisoners in Australia in their musical abilities – he wanted them to go up in musical competition with the prisoners at Goulburn prison.
Literally there is music in the air at Pentridge every day. An accomplished brass band of 26 instruments, led by Warder George Williams, plays marches and waltzes as the gangs go to and from their labours at the lunch hour. (“GAOL MUSIC DERBY“, 1935)
As can be seen in the cartoon below which was published in Sydney’s Sun newspaper, it seems that some in the New South Wales media took light of Governor Brown’s comments.
The Pentridge Brass Band lost the services of bandmaster Warder Williams in 1938 when he moved to Geelong to become an attendance officer for the Education Department (“FAREWELL TO PRISON BAND CONDUCTOR“, 1938). Depending on which source is accessed, he was the conductor of the band for seven to ten years.
On a side note, when researching this post, this author learned that the Cornet used by Warder George Williams was donated to the Coburg Historical Society in 1988 (McKenna, 2022).
Figure 6: The cornet once owned by Ward George Williams. Donated to the Coburg Historical Society in 1988. Displayed at a presentation at Merri-bek Libraries, Coburg. The photograph was taken by Jeremy de Korte, 19/11/2025.
Evidently, the band was still in operation in the early 1950s as they were mentioned in an article published by The Herald newspaper about the new prison brass band which had been established in Ballarat Gaol (“HARMONY IN GAOL“, 1951). In 1954, the State Government spent £1,000 for a whole new set of instruments for the Pentridge Brass Band (“News of the Day“, 1954).
It is unclear what happened to the Pentridge Prison Brass Band after the 1950s due to a scarcity of available records, and unfortunately, this author was unable to locate a picture of the band aside from the cartoon. However, it is evident that the band had a very positive effect on the prisoners and staff, and that it fitted into the reforms that swept over the Victorian prison system.
de Korte, J. D. (2025). Coburg, Vic. : Merri-bek Libraries – Coburg : Coburg Historical Society presentation – Band Blasts From the Past – Cornet [Photograph]. [IMG_1483]. Jeremy de Korte, Newington, Victoria.
AN HOUR IN PRISON : VISIT TO PENTRIDGE. : Where Gloom is Dispelled. (1927, 14 December). Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 – 1954), 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article96058047
McKenna, T. (2022). Pentridge Prison Brass Band. In Jeremy de Korte (Ed.), ([Email from Tim McKenna, (then) Secretary Coburg Historical Society to Jeremy de Korte regarding brass band related items in the collection of the CHS] ed.).
MR. CONDER : CONTROL OF PENTRIDGE GAOL : FAREWELL BY PRISONERS. (1923, 07 November). Northern Star (Lismore, NSW : 1876 – 1954), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93506230
Paterson, W. C. (1997). Victoria’s prison policy 1851-1992: from hulks to unit management (Publication Number 21156) [PhD, University of Tasmania, School of Government]. Hobart, Tasmania. https://doi.org/10.25959/23244737
PRISON DE LUXE : PENTRIDGE MADE PLEASANT : Band Music, Electric Light. (1923, 27 February). Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 – 1954), 12. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article243791944
Wilson, R. (2014). Joseph Akeroyd: rediscovering a prison reformer (Publication Number 9921863848301341) [PhD, RMIT University, School of Management, College of Business]. Melbourne, Victoria. https://doi.org/10.25439/rmt.27580911
Figure 1: Photograph: Jack Greaves with pre-WWI Cornet, date unknown. [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]
The history and the heritage of the Australian band movement is well worth preserving and it most certainly should be. (Greaves, 1988)
Introduction:
When the opportunity arises, I like to visit other libraries, archives, and historical societies in my pursuit of band history. Not that there is a hierarchy of collections, but I like to think that all is valuable, and they contribute to a broader history. After many years of documenting this material, one observation I can make is that the history of the band movement in Australia is highly fragmented. From private collections – and I am one who maintains a private collection – to bands, and historical societies, right up to our National Library of Australia (NLA). It is all connected in some way. The challenge is to put it all together in a meaningful narrative.
So, it was with some enthusiasm on my part to visit the National Library on a recent visit to Canberra. I feel I have made good use of the services that the NLA offers during the past years, mainly by using the Trove Archive which connects historical items from across Australia. There are many historical band stories that can be found just by following the newspaper articles of the day and it has been evident that our bands have largely had similar experiences. My posts on this blog, hopefully reflect this.
This post, however, is not a story as such. This post is about the Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection of band ephemera which is housed at the National Library of Australia in Canberra. Through this post I will try to make sense of what I viewed as a collector of band ephemera and band historian.
Jack Greaves:
Admittedly, I don’t know much about Jack Greaves aside from his reputation, his collection, and his output of work. However, with the benefit of a biography in one of his books, we can see how his life in the band movement progressed.
Jack began his involvement with brass bands in 1937 as a member of the Young Australia League Band in Sydney. When that group disbanded soon after the start of World War Two, he joined St George District Boys’ Band and joined St John Ambulance Brigade Band, then under the control of Charles Bignall, in 1943 and was principal horn when they won the B Grade Australian Championship in 1948.
Though Jack ceased playing soon after, his interest in brass bands has never diminished. In particular, he has a profound interest in researching band history, collecting sound recordings and general band memorabilia. (Greaves & Earl, 2001)
The National Library of Australia provides us with some further detail about Greaves in the brief biography on the catalogue entries.
Greaves published a number of books including Legends in Brass: Australian brass band achievers of the 20th century (with Chris Earl, 2001), and A musical mission of Empire: the story of the Australian Newcastle Steelworks Band (2005), and compiled a recording of historical brass band performances titled The great bands of Australia (1996). (Greaves, 2009a, 2009b)
Below is a photograph of the then Young Australia League Band from 1935, two years before Jack joined the band.
Figure 2: Photograph: Young Australia League Band, 1935. (Source: IBEW)
As the biography noted, Greaves did join other bands after his time with the YAL Band. One of the bands he joined as a young musician was the St George District Boys’ Band and he can be viewed in a couple of photographs resplendent in their band uniform. Here we see Jack in the front ranks of the band to the left of the Drum Major, holding a tenor horn.
Figure 3: Photograph: Jack Greaves with Drum Major, 1939. [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]
Interestingly, this is one photograph of Jack Greaves that does have context. The photograph was taken in May 1939 just when the band was about to step off in the May Day Parade. This photograph appeared in The Sun newspaper on the 1st of May 1939.
The information in Greaves’s biography from the NLA does provide details of significant years and information about his publications. He was, to all intents and purposes, one of the first people to research band history with dedicated passion, energy and accuracy. In times past there have been others, and I refer to Cecil Mullen as a case in point. With regards to Mullen, as I basically outlined in my post about him, he was very much the commentator and opinionated at that (de Korte, 2020). But he also worked to provide some valuable statistics, even if other passages of writing in the booklet were questionable (de Korte, 2020). Jack does say in correspondence with Ballarat band identity Bob Pattie that Mullen was “not entirely reliable” in his booklet Mullen’s Bandsmen of South Street, and in his subsequent article, “Brass bands have played a prominent part in the history of Victoria” published in The Victorian Historical Magazine (Greaves, 2003a; Mullen, 1951, 1965).
I have copies of the 1938 Bandsman’s Year Book & Mullen’s South Street book. I agree that the latter is not entirely reliable, nor is his other account of band history published in the Victoria Historical Magazine c1965. (Greaves, 2003a)
Personally, I do think that the program notes and information booklet written by Greaves for the double-CDs of historical Australian band recordings, The Great Bands of Australia, is a much more informative history of the Australian band movement (Greaves, 1996). The band historians I know who are active in this modern era also share a dedication for accuracy, no doubt helped by greater access to information and a desire to maintain the history of the movement and individual bands.
Ever the passionate writer and researcher, Greaves did provide some reasoning as to why he wanted to preserve all this band history. Writing in a contributed article published in the 1988 Australian Bicentennial Band Championships program, he introduces the room that he had set up (at the Nationals venue) with band memorabilia, and also writes,
Regrettably, the story of the community band movement in Australia has never been fully documented. The work performed and the achievements gained by many of this country’s leading conductors and their bands or by the pioneers of the movement during the 19th century is not widely known by present day band people. (Greaves, 1988)
Clearly, he wanted to do something about this. One might call it a passion project. He did eventually write a book published in 2001 highlighting the achievements these said pioneers. If he were alive today, he would probably be pleased that people such as John Whiteoak, Mark Pinner, Veronica Boulton, and the many band members who write up individual band histories have done something. And yet, even now, the band movement is an area of Australian musical life that does warrant more study and research (in my opinion).
Greaves passed away in 2009, and his collection was donated to the NLA for safekeeping and for research purposes. It is this collection that holds a fascination for me and other band historians.
Figure 5: Photograph: Greaves Brothers – Jack, Bill, Jim, in the uniform of the St George District Boys’ Band, c1940. [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]
The Collection:
If one were to look up the NLA catalogue details of the Jack Greaves collection there would be two entries – one for 10 boxes and one for a further 73 boxes (Greaves, 2009a, 2009b). And there is no denying that the collection is a treasure trove of historical band ephemera. I would surmise that there is not a collection quite like it anywhere in Australia. The fact that we can view this at one of our cultural institutions is of great help to historians and musicologists.
The other aspect that is obvious is that Greaves had been collecting band related material for much of his life. In one of his letters to Bob Pattie, he admits as much about his collection of historical recordings.
I started collecting band records back in 1943 and have an extensive collection of what is now referred as “vintage recordings”. (Greaves, 2003a)
Given that Jack appears as a young band member in photographs from 1939, to admit that he has been collecting recordings since 1943 is quite remarkable.
Previous to this letter, Greaves had actually penned an article which he contributed to the 1975 National Band Championship program on his hobby of collecting band recordings.
As a bandsman; I can think of no better hobby than collecting gramophone records, for not only do these provide unlimited hours of pleasurable listening but if the collection includes the older style 78 rpm discs it is somewhat possible to follow the history of the band movement over the past seventy odd years. (Greaves, 1975)
He goes on in this article to talk about all the fascinating recordings he has collected over the years, including what must be some incredibly rare recordings. Tenacious is a word I would use to describe his pursuit of these recordings. Thankfully, we can actually hear most of them on the double-CD set that he produced (Greaves, 1996).
Mentioned in the biography about Greaves in his first book is a note about one of the positions he held as the Historical Research Officer for the Band Association of New South Wales, which he commenced in 1985 (Greaves & Earl, 2001). This gave him an opportunity to put the call out for any kind of historical band material to be part of a wide-ranging collection. In the same article that was published in the 1988 Nationals program he wrote,
The Band Association of N.S.W. is well aware of this and is currently endorsing a state wide search to locate and where possible acquire items of historical interest. These include photographs, contest and concert programmes, newspaper cuttings and scrap books, contest medals, trophies and shields, music by Australian composers, antique instruments and equipment, uniforms, badges and regalia, and so on. (Greaves, 1988)
With regards to the band ephemera itself, which comprises of concert posters and programs, tour information, photographs, competition programs, and anything else printed on paper related to bands, Greaves was a collector of it all. Seventy-three boxes plus an additional ten is an amount to get though. On my visit I booked ahead to look through the set of ten boxes as knew I had limited time. Obviously, I do not know the machinations of the Band Association of New South Wales back then. But it seems that whether Greaves was collecting for himself or BANSW, this collection was combined and provided to the NLA when Greaves passed away.
This is not the first time I had viewed the collection, that was about four or five years ago. My aim in this latest visit was not only to view the collection but to understand where it had come from.
On a first impression it might seem that Greaves had collected whatever he could find that was band related, and that would be an easy assumption. No, Greaves set out to collect historical band material in a way so that future researchers could find things easily and use the material to further our own understanding of where the Australian band movement had come from and where it was going. Greaves (or the NLA) has carefully assessed each item and placed it in an order that is logical, as each box carries a ‘theme’ of sorts, whether that be competition programs from individual states, overseas ephemera, and the multitude of individual bands. Some resources have more value than others. For example, the scrapbook of photographs, programs, and member biographies of the Australian Commonwealth Band are well-worth a look – this scrapbook is a perfect example of the way Greaves went about his detailed research (a digital version of the scrapbook can be viewed on Trove via this link) (Greaves, 2009a).
Figure 6: Postcard: Australian National Band (World Tour) Concert Position : Albert H. Baile, Musical Director, 1926. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection
If I have any observations of Greaves’s collection, it is that it is very New South Wales centric. Understandably, this was because Greaves was based in that state and had reasonably easy access to material from NSW bands. This is not to say he did not collect material from other states, Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom as he felt that it was all part of a much larger picture. Greaves could see the connections and worked to highlight them. It is an Australian band movement after all, and Greaves collected from, and communicated with people from different states.
From parts of the collection is the interpretation and written work. Greaves used his material to produce some valuable band history which goes a long way to help our understanding of this unique history.
The output:
Greaves’s output of work on band history was steady over the years and covered everything from books to articles to entries in historical newsletters. He also was also quite generous with his time as he evidently corresponded with other bands people from around Australia. When reading his work, one cannot help but notice the detail – it is one of the hallmarks of his research.
It is hard to find some of Greaves’s work when undertaking regular searches through Google, but it can be found. I discovered some articles of his in National Band Championship programs, of which digital copies can be found in the Archives section of the National Band Council of Australia website. The earliest of these was in the 1969 program where he wrote an article on the famous Ballarat band composer Frank Wright who’s work “Purcellian Suite” was the D Grade test piece for that year (Greaves, 1969). In 1975, as mentioned, he wrote a long article about his hobby of collecting vintage records and in the 1988 program he wrote about collecting and preserving band historical items (Greaves, 1975, 1988). The 2003 National Band Championships program also contained an article by Greaves on the early bands of Newcastle – perhaps a precursor to his book on the Newcastle Steel Works Band and its trip to England (Greaves, 2003c).
We cannot discount the other historical research Greaves contributed. Bob Pattie was kind enough to post one of Greaves newsletter articles on the life of champion cornetist and conductor, Charles Smith in a 2022 Facebook post (Pattie, 2022). It is also noted in one of the books when Greaves was associated with BANSW he “contributed regular feature articles for their publications” (Greaves & Earl, 2001, p. 4).
It is, however, the books and double-CD set that Greaves is most known for. The CDs were produced in 1996 in conjunction with the Sound Heritage Association Canberra using recordings collected by Greaves. They provide us with recordings of bands from times past, and Greaves wrote the information booklet which is a valuable historical document in itself (Greaves, 1996; Greaves & Earl, 2001).
The two books are also worthwhile contributions to the history of the Australian band movement. Written in conjunction with Chris Earl, Legends in Brass : Australian Brass Band Achievers of the 20th Century (2001) takes us through the biographies of twenty of Australia’s legendary bands people, with the addition of five other sections of Australian brass band history (Greaves & Earl, 2001). This book is not a definitive history, nor does it mention all of the famous bands people who have been a part of this movement. What it does do is provide us with the lives and times of possibly the most influential bands people – those that were performers, composers, conductors, and adjudicators, often at the same time. Greaves & Earl also delve into the histories of women in our band movement, the famous South Street competitions, and our own National Band Championships. Geoffrey Brand wrote the foreword to this book and gives it high praise for its content, but it is some of his remarks that promote this book as an integral interpretation of band history.
Legends in Brass by Jack Greaves and Chris Earl is exactly aimed for all who will enjoy reading about Australian Brass Band Achievers of the 20th Century, offering the opportunity to fill in many details of those who were – and in a few cases still are – standard setters in brass band deeds as composers, conductors and instrumentalists” (Brand, 2001, p. 1).
Figure 7: Photograph: Newcastle Steel Works Band, 1922. (Source: IBEW)
Greaves’s second book was much more thematic as he provides a comprehensive history and story of the Newcastle Steel Works Band and their exploits in England (Greaves, 2005). Here, this book, A musical mission of empire : The story of the Newcastle Steelworks Band shows Greaves at his best historical research and writing. The book was obviously his last major work, and historically, it fits into a time period where the top bands – such as Collingwood Citizens’ and Malvern Tramways, as well as Newcastle – were great rivals and their playing set the musical world abuzz. It is also a book that is still referenced in other material such as blog posts published by Hunter Living Histories, Chris Helm, and in my own posts (de Korte, 2024a, 2024b; Helme, 2017; Special Collections, 2024). The book can still be found, but copies are getting scarcer with the passage of time. With this book it is obvious that Greaves drew upon the resources in his collections with photographs, programs, newspaper cuttings, competition results and even recordings.
Was Greaves working on any other projects? There is material that exists that indicates this was the case. However, time was obviously a factor and Greaves passed away in 2009 leaving later projects unfinished. In extracts from letters to Bob Pattie he wrote,
I am working on several projects at the present time one of which is the compilation of complete details of all the contests held at Ballarat from 1900 – say 1951. The South Street Society, I understand, has never published such a record which I think is very remiss of them. They are such an important part of Australian band history and should be available. (Greaves, 2002)
And in a later letter,
I am enclosing results of Ballarat A grade 1919, 1920, 1921, 1911, 1912, and 1915 also B grade 1912 which involves Ballarat City (E.T. Code) and Warrnambool (Percy Code). These are copies of my drafts for a forthcoming reference book which will contain South Street results from 1900-1951. […] I look forward to completing this in the not too distant future. (Greaves, 2003a)
No doubt a grand project and one that I think Greaves was very keen to do given his criticism of Mullen’s work and his mission to make band history more accessible. What would he have thought of the current South Street online results database and the archival database provided by the National Band Council of Australia? Different times, different methods of researching.
Greaves proved through his output of work that history had meaning and that all the material he had collected could be interpreted and used to inform the reader and draw them in. His detailed works shone light on aspects of band history that might have become lost or forgotten.
Conclusion:
I think, in the near future, I would like to revisit the Jack Greaves Collection again and maybe look through the larger part of the collection – not entirely due to interest in material related to the Malvern Tramways Band (Stonnington City Brass). It is a collection that can draw you in as each piece of paper has meaning and a story. Historically, the collection shows us what musical times were like over a large part of the 20th Century as localities across Australia hosted competitions and contests.
For myself as a band historian, the collection gives me inspiration, even if I started my collection journey later in life. Greaves shows how collection and output are interlinked. I can only hope to produce work that is as expansive as a whole book. One of these days…
Remember that band history is all around us. As important and large as the Greaves Collection is, it shows the collection efforts and priorities of Greaves. Whereas there is always much more to be discovered. In our band rooms, in op shops, in libraries and archives, in historical societies, placed in parks and gardens, or out on the main streets of towns. But the Greaves Collection shows us what can be done when band history is collected over many years and concentrated in one place. Thank you, Jack.
Acknowledgements:
This is a very different post to the work I have previously written, and I do have thank some people for assistance. The first group of people are the Special Collection Librarians at the National Library of Australia. They are dedicated to helping people access collections of archival material and helping with research questions. For myself they were quite happy to chat about my work and provide me with some guidance on where my work could take me. The librarians were also kind enough to introduce me to another brass band researcher who just happened to be in the NLA Special Collections room that day, Gypsy Cook. It was great to meet Gypsy, and I appreciate her insight and knowledge about the Jack Greaves Collection and band journals. Her knowledge of band history and willingness to supply some photographs of Jack is greatly appreciated, and I wish her well in her own work.
References:
Brand, G. (2001). Foreword. In Legends in brass : Australian brass band achievers of the 20th century (pp. 1). Muso’s Media.
Greaves Brothers : Jack, Bill, Jim : In uniform of St George District Boys’ Band [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]. (c1940). [Black & White Photograph]. [PXL_20260313_022324041.MP].
Greaves, J. (1969). Some Notes About the Composter of “Purcellian Suite” : “D” Grade Test. In Australian Brass Band Championships : Presented by Tasmanian Bands League : Member of National Band Council (pp. 41). Tasmanian Bands League.
Greaves, J. (1975). The fascinating hobby of vintage record collecting. In National Band Championships : Sydney 28-31 March 1975 (pp. 38–39). Band Association of New South Wales.
Greaves, J. (1988). Preserving our Heritage. In Australian Bicentennial Band Championships : Bankstown Town Hall, Sydney : Easter – 30th March to 3rd April : presented by : The Band Association of New South Wales (pp. 76). Band Association of New South Wales.
Greaves, J. (1996). The Great Bands of Australia [booklet] [2 sound discs (CD) : digital ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet]. Sydney, N.S.W., Sound Heritage Association Ltd. https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/2372005
Greaves, J. (2002). [Letter from Jack Greaves to Bob Pattie regarding the Ballarat band history book, and future projects]. In Jack Greaves Correspondence (pp. 2–3). Harden, N.S.W.: Bob Pattie Collection.
Greaves, J. (2003a). [Letter from Jack Greaves to Bob Pattie regarding draft material regarding a reference book of South Street results that was being worked on, and other Ballarat band history]. In Jack Greaves Correspondence (pp. 18–19). Harden, N.S.W.: Bob Pattie Collection.
Greaves, J. (2003b). [Letter from Jack Greaves to Bob Pattie regarding vintage recordings and various aspects of Ballarat band history]. In Jack Greaves Correspondence (pp. 88). Harden, N.S.W.: Bob Pattie Collection.
Greaves, J. (2003c). A tribute to the earlier bands of Newcastle. In Australian National Band Championships Newcastle New South Wales : Proudly hosted by Band Association of New South Wales Inc. : April 17th – 21st, 2003 (pp. 29–32). Band Association of New South Wales.
Greaves, J. (2005). A musical mission of Empire : the story of the Australian Newcastle Steelworks Band. Peters 4 Printing.
Greaves, J. (2009a). [Ephemera from the Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection : ephemera material collected by the National Library of Australia]. In Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection ([1857-2008] 8 Boxes. 2 boxes 39 x 60 x 11 cm and 71 x 47 x 6 cm. ed., Vol. Australian ephemera collection (Formed)): National Library of Australia.
Greaves, J. (2009b). Papers of Jack Greaves, 1857-2008 [Manuscript]. In Jack Greaves Brass and Military Band Collection ([1857-2008] 13.0 m. (73 boxes) + 4 fol. boxes + 1 oversize item ed.): National Library of Australia.
Greaves, J., & Earl, C. (2001). Legends in brass : Australian brass band achievers of the 20th century [Book]. Muso’s Media.
Jack Greaves with Drum Major [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]. (1939). [Black & White Photograph]. [PXL_20260220_024935999.MP].
Jack Greaves with pre-WWI cornet [This photograph of the original photograph was supplied by Gypsy Cook]. (n.d.). [Black & White Photograph]. [PXL_20260220_025534333.MP].
Mullen, C. C. (1951). Mullen’s Bandsmen of South Street (1900-1951). Horticultural Press.
Mullen, C. C. (1965). Brass bands have played a prominent part in the history of Victoria. The Victorian Historical Magazine, XXXVI(1), 30–47.
Newcastle Steel Works Band. (1922). [Photograph]. [phot20975]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Photogelatine Engraving Company Co. Ltd. (1926). Australian National Band (World Tour) Concert Position : Albert H. Baile, Musical Director [Postcard]. Photogelatine Engraving Company Co. Ltd., Ottawa, Canada.
Young Australia League Band. (1935). [Photograph]. [phot7310]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Figure 1: Northern Star, 26/07/1930, p. 8; Sunraysia Daily, 26/07/1932, p. 1; Times and Northern Advertiser, 13/09/1946, p. 2
Introduction:
It would be a difficult matter to adequately express the appreciation we have for the efforts of our ladies’ committee. Their help, both financially and socially, places us under a debt of deep gratitude. It was mutually agreed that their fund should be transferred to the band’s account, and they handed over £25 /9. The ladies also donated £20 to the building fund, and there was another gift of £4 4/ – a total of £49 13/. The ladies should be proud of this work.
So stated Mr. A. E. Sanders, then Secretary of the Port Pirie (S.A.) based B.H.A.S. Excelsior Band. And rightly so, it was a substantial amount of money for those times to be provided to the band. Bands all over Australia, since they began, were always in need of funds, and they worked hard to provide for themselves. However, here we have a group, the ladies’ committee, who were not playing members of the band, but an associated entity, nonetheless. There were many of these ladies’ committees, or auxiliaries – the naming is interchangeable – associated with brass bands across the nation during a good seventy year of the last century. This post focuses on the important fundraising and social activities they undertook.
These ladies’ committees should not be viewed purely through gendered glasses as they were set up in different times. In the history of our band movement, we know that while there were early female brass bands, it was largely a male orientated activity. But there is a wealth of evidence that shows the womenfolk were very supportive of the band movement, not only actively listening to the bands, but also providing material support, which they were very good at doing. In fact, we could view the ladies’ committee as a kind of club as the women involved not only supported the band, but being part of a committee was a social activity as well.
In this post, we will find that the ladies’ committees involved themselves in a range of activities to support their brass bands, and that their support was integral and deserved much thanks. The evidence of their activities comes from the newspaper articles of the day and reports of annual general meetings – like the one provided by the B.H.A.S. Excelsior Band. What we do not have is pictures of these fine folk. Photographs of bands are easy to find. Finding pictures of their supporters is much more difficult. Nevertheless, this post will highlight a measure of support for bands that is perhaps underrated and lost to time. It is important to acknowledge the work of these women.
Seeing a need:
As detailed in a previous posts, bands were in need of some essentials in order to function – instruments, sheet music, and uniforms (de Korte, 2018b). We must not forget places to rehearse as well (de Korte, 2020b). All these things came with costs attached and while bands were reasonably good at dealing with local councils to obtain funds, more money was always needed and welcomed. Such was the perilous state of some band finances that they could not survive monetary shocks or social upheaval (de Korte, 2020a, 2020c). So having varied sources of funding was always going to be of benefit.
Let us work with a theory through this post, and the evidence will become clear, that the bands of this time that had two committees worked quite effectively. For the simple fact that a band committee, which, due to the time, was male and they largely focused on the running of the band. Having a ladies’ committee that focused on fundraising and social events meant that the time and energy of the band committee was somewhat freed up.
The need was clearly there; it was just a matter of forming ladies’ committees who were enthusiastic about supporting the brass band. According to a letter writer who wrote to the Glengarry, Toongabbie and Cowwarr Journal newspaper in 1925, ladies were quite fond of music, especially that of a brass band (A Member’s Wife, 1925).
Bands and their ladies:
There is no definitive time as to when the earliest brass band ladies’ committee started but newspaper articles provide us with indicative dates. In an article published by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper in July 1899, we find that the Newtown Brass Band of Sydney was the benefit of a ball “arranged and carried out by a committee of ladies of which Mrs. W. Rigg was the hon. Secretary, and Mrs. Trindall the hon. Treasurer” (“NEWTOWN BRASS BAND.,” 1899) with the aim of providing funds for the band to obtain new uniforms. Admittedly. The Newtown Brass Band was already well supported by the local community – Dr. Trindall was the MC for this event and Mr. Rigg M.L.A. “made a few remarks” in support of the band (“NEWTOWN BRASS BAND.,” 1899).
For the newly formed Quairading Brass Band located in the town of Quairading, east of Perth, a ladies’ auxiliary was formed not long after the band came into existence in 1919. And as reported in the Eastern Districts Chronicle newspaper, this auxiliary applied themselves to arranging the concerts with great success (“District News,” 1919).
The Essendon City Band, based in the north west suburbs of Melbourne, had quite the proactive band committee, and reported as such at the 1922 annual general meeting by the then (retiring) secretary, Mr. W. H. Gore, jun. (“ESSENDON CITY BAND,” 1922). However, it was Mr. Gore’s wife, Mrs. Gore who took some initiative to help the band.
On August 22, Mrs. Gore proposed a gift sale to raise funds. The proposal was adopted, and a ladies committee formed. In the short time available the sum of £78 10s 6d was raised (including £9 proceeds of house party organised by Mr. Skehan), and £6 17s was also donated from R.S.S.I.L.A. Mrs. Gore reported that in moving amongst the people she found that the upmost good-will existed towards the band, and the citizens generally were appreciative of its work in the district. Some of the public bodies were endeavouring to make arrangements to work conjointly with the band in promoting the social life of the community, and it remained for the committee to make the best and most equitable arrangements possible.
Figure 2: Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter, 07/12/1922, p. 1
The South Caulfield Brass Band located in the east of Melbourne, decided to form a ladies’ committee to help put on a concert at the Caulfield Town Hall in September 1927 as the band needed to pay off the debt on instruments (“South Caulfield Brass Band.,” 1927). Their invitation to interested parties, which was detailed in an article published by The Prahran Telegraph newspaper, was welcoming.
Any lady interested in the work of the band is requested to communicate with the secretary, if desirous of assisting.
The South Caulfield Brass Band was not the only band to form a ladies’ committee for help with special events. In the same year, the Healesville Brass Band also formed a ladies’ committee, and they were much more organised as they voted in office bearers – “President, Mrs. Verity; vice-president Mrs. Hal Brown; secretary and treasurer, Mrs. R. Coates.” (“HEALESVILLE BRASS BAND.,” 1927). This committee was quite firm in their fundraising aims:
The main objects of the ladies’ committee is to provide members of the band with suitable uniforms and to purchase new instruments. It is confidently expected that the ladies of the district will support the band to their utmost ability.
Sometimes, the main objectives to starting a ladies’ committee were a bit more open ended. The Lismore Citizens’ Brass Band, as can be read in the article below, held a meeting to “consider the advisability of forming a committee to further the interests” of the band – with the end result of forming a ladies’ committee (“LADIES’ BAND COMMITTEE,” 1930).
In the town of Merbein, located in the far north west of Victoria, the newly reconstituted Merbein Brass Band was the recipient of an equally enthusiastic ladies’ social committee that immediately decided to hold a “social, in aid of band funds” (“BRASS BAND LADIES’ COMMITTEE,” 1932). The social was to consist of “Cards, competitions, and a musical programme” to “engage the attention of patrons” (“MERBEIN BRASS BAND,” 1932). This would have been a successful event given that way the town swung behind their band.
Figure 4: Merbein Public Brass Band-August 1926. Sunraysia Daily, 07/09/1926, p. 1
Support for the brass bands often came from people who held important positions in towns. Such was the case in Shepparton, Victoria, where the then Lady Mayoress, Mrs. D. Summers invited interested women to be part of a new ladies’’ auxiliary and presided over the meeting – the ladies’ auxiliary was to take the place of the existing social committee of the Shepparton Brass Band (“SHEPPARTON BRASS BAND,” 1935). Within one month of starting, in November 1935 this new auxiliary got to work almost immediately to raise funds in order to provide 27 uniforms for the band (“BAND UNIFORMS,” 1935b). For the Shepparton Brass Band, there was a sense of urgency to provide the uniforms. In January 1936 they were to host a meeting of all the bands from the Goulburn Valley and it was important that the Shepparton Brass Band looked as good as possible (“BAND UNIFORMS,” 1935a). The new ladies’ auxiliary, and the band itself had their work cut out for them soliciting the support of the townsfolk.
The middle years of last century brought about upheaval with the advent of the Second World War, but for the bands, they recognized that additional help was needed to operate. And they continued to form ladies’ committees to help the bands. Mr. W. J. Moore, then secretary of the Berry Brass Band outlined in his report at the 1937 Annual General Meeting of the band how new committees would assist the band.
We would like to recommend the formation of a Citizens’ Committee, and also a Ladies’ Auxiliary, in the near future. What can be done by such adjuncts is shown in Casino, where there is a juvenile band of 63 performers, and 25 clamouring for admission. We must get the people of Berry interested in their band. With the formation of theory classes at regular intervals, and the hearty co-operation of the general public, the band should flourish and provide a never-failing source of enjoyment to those who appreciated the inspiring strains of outdoor music.
Some very worthwhile aims for the then Berry Brass Band to achieve.
Another band based in the Riverina region of New South Wales voted at their meeting in 1940 to form a ladies’ auxiliary, but it was only mentioned in the minutes with no clear goal as to what this auxiliary should aim for.
It was moved by Mr. McLay and seconded by Mr. Turner, that the lady supporters of the band be given the authority to form a committee to be known as the Narrandera Citizens’ Brass Band Women’s Auxiliary.
The newly inaugurated ladies’ auxiliary of the Norseman Brass Band in Western Australia formed post WWII and found their work in supporting the band as well as providing a social group for lady supporters of the band, thus providing two avenues of connection (“Norseman Brass Band Ladies Aux. Formed,” 1949).
This is only a small sample of little stories relating to the formation of ladies’ committees across the Australian band movement. For the various reasons they were formed, the fact that these committees were comprised of volunteers who gave their time for the band and social connection was the most important aspect of all.
The many ways to raise funds:
Figure 5: Members of the Casterton Vice Regal Band Ladies’ Auxiliary preparing supper at the CVRB “Belle of Belles Ball”. Weekly Times, 20/09/1950, p. 20
Balls, socials, bazaars, carnivals, baby competitions, singing competitions, cake stalls, and assisting at concerts…if there was any way to raise funds for brass bands, the ladies’ committees were on to them. And they had a good time doing it too as the committees, as mentioned, functioned as a kind of social club. The takings from such events were not insignificant, and the funds were much appreciated by the bands.
Some of the events that were held have already been detailed in this post as ladies’ committees were initially formed to fund specific items for the band – instruments and uniforms were particularly important. All things considered, most of the events were held just to raise additional funds which the bands used at their will.
The ladies committee of the Port Pirie Proprietary Brass Band held a very successful social event at Port Pirie’s International Hall in March 1906. Not only were 90 people present and £21 raised, but the ladies’ committee also presented something very special to the band.
The chief event of the evening came as a great surprise to all in the shape of a very handsome drum major’s staff, being presented to the Band by Mesdames J. Holwell and C. Langford on behalf of the Ladies’ Committee.
[…]
The Chairman in a very neat speech called upon Mr Fred Lewsey as an old supporter of the Band to make the presentation on behalf of the ladies, to the band, through their Conductor and Bandmaster, Mr. Thos Morgan. Both gentlemen thanked the donors for the valuable and handsome present, and expressed the hope that wherever the staff was carried it would be the means of bringing good luck and victories to the Proprietary Band.
The Bandmaster then called on Mr Tom Everon, drum-major of the Band, to accept the present custodian. Mr Everon, in responding, said it gave him the greatest pleasure of his life in having an opportunity of thanking the donors for their useful and ornamental gift, especially as the donors were ladies.”
Running social events was a popular activity for ladies’ committees and this is evident through a range of newspaper articles which detailed what went on. Despite World War One being underway, the Lakes Creek Brass Band Ladies’ Committee of Rockhampton held a coin social at the local Masonic Hall. Several activities were on offer including dancing, a progressive euchre tournament, open air games, a waltzing competition, a find-your-partner competition, and musical items were provided by the band and vocalists (“LAKE’S CREEK BRASS BAND.,” 1917).
Like the Lakes Creek Brass Band Ladies’ Committee social that took place in 1917, several years later the ladies’ committee of the Bacchus Marsh Brass Band also ran a very successful social event. In front of 80 people, musical items were presented by soloists from the band – including a mouth-organ duet – and vocal and other items were part of the entertainment (“BACCHUS MARSH BRASS BAND.,” 1934). The obligatory thanks were provided by members of the band.
The boys voted the ladies “Jolly Good Fellows” at the close of the very enjoyable function, for they provided the good things that appeal to the boys and incidentally to grownups as well.
In the early years of World War Two, any pleasant activity must have been a welcome distraction. For the ladies committee of the Clare Brass Band, one activity was a singing competition which was held in the home of Miss M. Rowley in October 1941 (“Clare Brass Band.,” 1941). It was not a small affair as fifty ladies attended the afternoon, and twelve of them participated in the competition where variety on order. Some ladies presented tap dancing, others played the piano, and there was singing – “which caused much fun” (“Clare Brass Band.,” 1941). Takings were a bit on the small side at “£1/3/6”, but no doubt appreciated by the band (“Clare Brass Band.,” 1941).
Figure 6: Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder, 04/12/1942, p. 3
The Kurri Kurri Boys’ Brass Band were very lucky to have a ladies’ committee helping them with fundraising. Being the proactive band that they were and having the opportunity to enter band competitions on a regular basis, adequate funds were essential. Kudos to the ladies’ committee of the band for arranging various functions, including the mentioned “baby show” (“KURRI BOYS’ BRASS BAND,” 1942). For the record, a tiny snippet of news published in the Cessnock Eagle and South Maitland Recorder newspaper noted that the boys travelled to Sydney on the 22nd of January 1943 to compete in a competition (“PERSONAL,” 1943). Obviously, the latest rounds of fundraising were successful in meeting goals.
In April 1950, the Clare Brass Band was in recess “due to a shortage of bandsmen”, but that did not stop their very proactive ladies’ committee from raising funds in the hope the band would become active again (“Clare Brass Band,” 1950). They held a social afternoon that month with a variety of entertainments including “competitions, elocutionary items, songs and games” (“Clare Brass Band,” 1950). It was noted in this article published in The Northern Argus newspaper that the Clare Brass Band Ladies’ Committee was quite proactive in what they did and how much in funds they had raised.
The ladies committee have £105 in the bank, proceeds from the social afternoons. Many food parcels have been sent overseas, and appreciative letters have been received from the recipients.
Mrs. Shashall, President, and Mrs. H. J. Aitken, Mrs. M. Kain, and Mrs. R. McEvoy, vice-presidents, thanked and expressed their appreciation for past help, and hoped in the near future the ladies would support their local band which is an acquisition to any town.
On a side note, the Clare Municipal Brass Band reformed (and renamed) in 1951, then went into recess by the end of 1952, before being reformed again in November 1954 (“Clare Municipal Brass Band Reformed,” 1954; Tilbrook, 1954; “YOUNG RIDERS—AND THE BIG BRASS,” 1952). The photograph below shows the Clare Municipal Brass Band as it was in 1952. No doubt the ladies’ committee of the band would have been pleased to see the band reformed and know that their extensive fundraising activities helped.
The Horsham Brass Band Ladies’ Auxiliary was also active in the early 1950s. As the article below shows, they held a cake and produce stall, with the proceeds being £6 with further events planned in the lead up to Christmas (“CAKE STALL FOR BAND,” 1953). Even small amounts of fundraising were useful for the band.
With the varied forms of fundraising, the ladies’ committees contributed much to their bands as well as contributing to their localities as well. With this help came much thanks, as was evident in these articles. Funds for bands was an ongoing concern, and the more help that was provided, the better.
A long-standing anachonism:
It is not the greatest measurement but judging by the numbers of newspaper articles that mentioned ladies’ committees in the 1950s and 1960s, there seems to be a reduction in the numbers throughout this time. History will tell us that from the 1950s, females started joining brass bands in greater numbers as playing band members so perhaps, this also influenced the makeup of band committees (de Korte, 2018a). However, social factors could also be at play as society in general changed. For example, the King Island Municipal Band noted in 1968 that the loss of their ladies’ committee was due to the lady that ran it leaving the island (On the Beat, 1968). Change in the band movement can sometimes be gradual as new ideas take hold.
Conclusion:
This author has often heard of bands being described as a family or a community. The stories here demonstrate that all people involved – players and helpers – are important. The bands and their committees were wholly responsible for creating a community that supported the band. And in times past, that support was much needed. The ladies that volunteered to organise, run cake stalls, dances, obtained uniforms, and undertook innumerable other supporting roles did so with an enthusiasm that made a real difference. Who knows how many bands would have faltered over time had it not been for that little bit of extra support provided by a hard-working ladies’ committee?
References:
A Member’s Wife. (1925, 30 March). Coursing Club and Ladies : AND A BRASS BAND, TOO! Journal : Glengarry, Toongabbie and Cowwarr Journal (Traralgon, Vic. : 1923 – 1929), 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article274569550
ESSENDON CITY BAND : ANNUAL MEETING HELD : Year of Pronounced Activity. (1922, 07 December). Essendon Gazette and Keilor, Bulla and Broadmeadows Reporter (Moonee Ponds, Vic. : 1905 – 1924), 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article283500348
EXCELSIOR BAND ACTIVITIES : How Public Supports Music : Seventeen Concerts Bring £19 to Funds. (1936, 21 February). Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 – 1954), 1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article95923315
Peterborough Municipal Brass Band : JUNIOR INSTRUMENT FUND. (1946, 13 September). Times and Northern Advertiser, Peterborough, South Australia (SA : 1919 – 1950), 2. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124976509
Tilbrook, I. T. (1954, 10 November). CLARE MUNICIPAL BRASS BAND TO BE RE-ORGANISED : CONDUCTOR REQUIRED : (To the Editor). Northern Argus (Clare, SA : 1869 – 1954), 10. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97827167
Programme: South Street “Centenary” Brass Band Contest, 1934, part of the front cover. (Source: Victorian Collections: Victorian Bands’ League Archives)
An international band contest may be a feature of the Centenary celebrations. An effort will be made to include one in the 1934 Eisteddfod and Band Contest at Ballarat.
The Grand National Eisteddfod of Australasia has promised its enthusiastic support of the celebrations. Bands contests were resumed last year at the Ballarat competitions after a lapse of eight years, and they proved successful. (“Band Contest For Centenary,” 1933)
Introduction:
The year is 1934 and in Ballarat on the 1st of November, the Royal South Street Eisteddfod band sections are getting underway again. Except this year is a bit different. It is the year of the Victorian and Melbourne Centenary and across Victoria, celebrations and other events are in full swing. The South Street band sections were part of these grand festivities, and all efforts were made to attract bands from across Australia and New Zealand. In addition, the band contest was honoured by the presence of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and The Band of HM Grenadier Guards. The Royal South Street Society band contest, while being the most prestigious, attracted the most attention in the wider band movement. For the bands themselves, there were lots of other events and band contests they were involved in.
Planning for the 1934 Ballarat band contest was extensive and as shown by the quote at the head of this post, the ideas started over eighteen months earlier. Even if the idealism of the organisers was led astray at times. They thought big, but had to accept that economic conditions were not the best as Australia was coming out of the Great Depression. To put on a band contest befitting a visit of royalty was the utmost challenge. Not to mention the scheduling given the extensive touring of the Grenadier Guards Band and the Duke.
With the cooperation many different parties, somehow, everything worked out. This post is mainly about the 1934 South Street band contest, ninety years to the day.
The Centenary:
Officially, the Victorian and Melbourne centenaries marked two historical events; the landing of the Henty family in Portland 1834, and John Batman’s grand pronouncement in 1835 that the Port Philip bay area with the Yarra River at its head would be “the place for a Village” (McCubbin, 2008). However, like any celebration of this nature, there was some curious disagreement over the dates, especially from interstate commentators. An article published in The Adelaide Chronicle newspaper in April 1934 questioned the historical accuracy of the centenary. The article suggested that 1934 was too early as Victoria was officially proclaimed an independent colony in 1851 (“Victoria’s Centenary,” 1934). Or maybe, as the article also suggested, the centenary was thirty-two years too late as 1802 was the year surveyors from New South Wales first explored the country in the vicinity of Port Phillip Bay (“Victoria’s Centenary,” 1934). And there were plenty of other historical events connected with Victoria before 1834 that could have been commemorated. The Victorian Government was probably well aware of these dates and as an article published in The Record newspaper proclaimed:
And now after warring factions have harmonised, the official foundation of Victoria is given as November 19, 1834, when the “Thistle” anchored in Portland Bay: and the centenary of this event is to be taken as the starting point of our Centenary celebrations. (“Victoria’s Centenary.,” 1933)
Nowadays Victoria celebrates an event on the 1st of July each year which marks the day Victoria was officially proclaimed an independent colony from New South Wales (Brown, 2015). Melbourne Day is also recognized on the 30th of August each year which commemorates “the anniversary of the first European settlement in 1835” (Melbourne Day, 2024).
Confusing, isn’t it…
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester:
As early as 1932 if newspaper reports are anything to go by, negotiations were underway to bring a member of the Royal Family to Victoria for the Centenary commemorations in 1934. The Scrutineer and Berrima District Press newspaper was one of these and they published a tiny article on the 6th of November 1932.
Victoria’s Centenary will probably be celebrated from October, 1934, to February, 1935. Negotiations are in progress for a Royal visit, and it is almost certain that the British Fleet, which was to have visited Australia in 1933, will postpone the visit to coincide with the celebrations. (“Victoria’s Centenary,” 1932)
By early May 1933, the progress of the negotiations was evident to the extent that it was confirmed a member of the Royal Family would visit in 1934. But which one? The Victorian government initiated the negotiations; however, Canberra was also involved and any Royal that visited would be taken to the national capital as well, and to various places in Australia and New Zealand. Speculation as to which Royal it might be was rife, and as reported by The Herald and several other newspapers, the Royal family member was going to be the Earl of Athlone, the brother of the Queen, or the Duke of Gloucester, the King’s third son (“CENTENARY PLANS TAKE SHAPE,” 1933).
In February 1934, the proposed Royal was mentioned in various newspapers as Prince George and the Royal South Street Society immediately sought to secure a visit to Ballarat by the Prince on the 1st of November so that he could open the famous band sections (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST,” 1934). The RSSS was concerned that the Prince, according to a tentative itinerary, might be in New South Wales while the contest was taking place.
However, even with the best of plans, circumstances can change overnight, and by May 1934, news broke about a change of Royal, but this did not substantially alter the planning of a Royal visit.
It was announced, in the week-end, that, owing to the strain of the South African tour, Prince George would be unable to fulfil the engagement to come to Australia for the Melbourne Centenary celebrations. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, is to take his place.
The least robust member of the Royal family, Prince George felt the strain of his South African tour before it was finished. It was far heavier than had been expected, and his letters home indicated that he was feeling tired, although delighted at the cordiality of his reception everywhere.
It was consequently considered unwise for a young man of Prince George’s temperament, which is rather highly strung, to undertake a second tour, especially as the Australasian programme was longer and more arduous than the African.
[…]
The Duke of Gloucester is the only one of the King’s sons who has not yet toured the Empire. He fulfilled his duties during his visit to Japan so well that it was felt that he should be given the opportunity to visit Australia, where he would be likely to find so much congenial to his temperament. (“Duke of Gloucester to Come Here for Centenary Celebrations,” 1934)
With a member of a Royal family confirmed, and in all likelihood, the Duke of Gloucester would be in Ballarat on the 1st of November, planning for other parts of the Centenary celebrations and the band contest continued (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST.,” 1934).
H.R.H. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. Sunraysia Daily, 31/10/1934, p. 21
The Duke arrived in Australia in early October and visited Perth, then Adelaide on his way to Melbourne, travelling aboard H.M.S. Sussex which was escorted by elements of the Australian naval fleet (“DEPARTURE OF H.M.S. SUSSEX.,” 1934). Prince Henry disembarked in Melbourne on the 18th of October and was afforded all the military and civic pageantry that Victoria could muster at the time. Below is a short film clip of his arrival and speech on the steps of the Victorian Parliament.
The Band of HM Grenadier Guards:
Programme: Front Cover – The Band of His Majesty’s Grenadier Guards : By Special Permission of the King, 1934. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
If the experiences of bringing a member of the Royal family to Ballarat was anything to go by, then securing a visit by one of the finest military bands in the world (at that time) was no less stressful and speculative. Given the planning of the Centenary celebrations were well-underway in 1933, this is when newspapers started reporting that an English military band would be visiting as part of the festivities. The Argus newspaper published a lengthy article in September 1933 that mentioned the Coldstream Guards, and that Victorian band musicians would be eager to hear them play, and be inspired (“COLDSTREAM GUARDS BAND,” 1933). As mentioned in a previous post about this tour, only the Musicians’ Union raised objections to the tour of an English band, a position that was berated by a letter writer to The Herald newspaper (de Korte, 2018b; Musician, 1933). In October, The Age newspaper was a little more speculative – given there are multiple guards’ bands, this article mentioned the bands of the Coldstream Guards, Welsh Guards, or Grenadier Guards as possibilities of touring (“GUARDS’ BAND VISIT.,” 1933).
It was quite a bit later, June 1934, that the Grenadier Guards Band was strongly expected to be the English military band visiting for the Centenary, and that their tour, estimated to cost £10,000 pounds, would also take in provincial towns (“FAMOUS BAND EXPECTED,” 1934). In August, this tour was very much confirmed – one could appreciate the formality of the article published in The Age newspaper.
By special permission of the King, the band of Grenadier Guards is to give a season in Melbourne under the auspices of the Commonwealth and New Zealand Governments and the Centenary Celebrations Council, and Messrs. J. and N. Tait have been entrusted with the management of the tour. The opening concert will be given in the Town Hall on Saturday, 20th October. The band is the premier band of the United Kingdom, and negotiations for this visit have been carried through the Commonwealth High Commissioner in London with the British Government. The band has no fewer than twenty different programmes. Their uniforms of scarlet, blue and gold, with bearskin busbies, should make a fine spectacle. (“Grenadier Guards’ Band.,” 1934)
The Grenadier Guards band duly arrived in Melbourne on the 20th of October and were given a civic reception at the town hall, and a parade up Collins Street led by the Melbourne Fire Brigade Band (“GRENADIER GUARDS BAND HAS WONDERFUL WELCOME.,” 1934). The picture below published in The Age newspaper showing the proceedings, and part of the crowd of 100,000, says it all.
After their welcome in Melbourne and opening concert, the Band of the Grenadier Guards commenced on a country tour of Victoria, such was the interest in their visit – their first tour concert was in Wangaratta on the 22nd of October (“GRENADIER GUARDS BAND.,” 1934). By no coincidence at all, many of the places the band visited intersected with visits of the Duke of Gloucester, including Ballarat on the 1st of November.
Of interest is the back cover of the programme used for this visit which advertises Boosey & Hawkes instruments, and the Australian music retailers that sold them – with a picture of H.M.S. Sussex which was transporting Prince Henry to Australia (Kingtson, 1934).
Programme: Back Cover – The Band of His Majesty’s Grenadier Guards : By Special Permission of the King, 1934. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
Two of the puzzle pieces for the Royal South Street band contest were now in place. But we must not forget the brass bands that were travelling to South Street for the contest.
Attracting the bands:
It would not be a band contest without the bands, and the Royal South Street Society, conscious of the significance of the 1934 contest, wanted to put on a good show. At the head of this post was the idea that the band contest could be an international contest with the finest bands from around the world travelling to Ballarat to participate (“Band Contest For Centenary,” 1933). Alas, bringing international bands was not to be. Australia was just coming out of the Great Depression and economic conditions were not the best and attracting international bands was probably deemed too expensive (de Korte, 2020). Nevertheless, in June 1933 the Lord Mayor of Melbourne gave his blessing to the band contest in Ballarat, stating,
Ballarat is looked upon as the venue for brass band contests, and I can assure you that during the centenary celebrations it will be recognised as such” said the Lord Mayor of Melbourne (Councillor H. Gengoult Smith) in speaking at a civic welcome at the city hall yesterday. […] In recognition of what Ballarat, through the South Street Society, had done for the encouragement of brass band music, he would give his assurance that the finals of the centenary band contest would be held in Ballarat. (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST.,” 1933)
The Mayor of Ballarat, Cr. A. J. Darling expressed confidence in January 1934 that arrangements for the official opening of the Centenary band contest were well-underway, as well as confirmation that a member of the Royal family would be attending (“CENTENARY BAND CONTEST.,” 1934). With the Royal South Street Society and the newly formed Victorian Bands’ League working on the particulars of the contest, there was no need to think this was not the case. And in April came the details of the prize money that was on offer, and the announcement that “Mr. Stephen Yorke, conductor of the Australian national military band, will adjudicate.” (“CENTENARY BAND CONTESTS.,” 1934). On a side note, the A.B.C. Military Band was undertaking its own national tour in 1934 – it was a great year to listen to top bands in Australia (de Korte, 2018a).
Individual bands were also starting to make plans to visit Ballarat for the contest. We see that in April, the Mildura Municipal Band (also known as the Sunraysia District Brass Band) announced plans to visit Ballarat to listen to the A grade sections, and then proceed to Melbourne to present a concert in conjunction with the Essendon City Band (“CENTENARY BAND CONTESTS,” 1934). However, their ideas must have changed as they ended up participating in the contest in the C and D grade sections, and achieving equal first prize with the Pleasant Street Boys’ Band in the D grade (Royal South Street Society, 1934c).
Interest in competing was also expressed by bands in New Zealand as the Woolston Brass Band announced its intention to come to Ballarat for the centenary contest (“NEW ZEALAND BAND TO VISIT MELBOURNE.,” 1933). An article published in the Dominion newspaper by the writer, ‘Kneller Hall’, speculated that the Port Nicholson Silver Band was preparing to travel to Ballarat to compete, while also confirming that the famous Woolston Brass Band was going to make the trip over the Tasman (Kneller Hall, 1934). In the end, only one band from New Zealand ended up attending, Woolston, and they were given a civic welcome when they arrived in Ballarat (“BALLARAT AND DISTRICT,” 1934; “PROVINCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS.,” 1934a).
With bands arriving in Ballarat, the Duke of Gloucester travelling down by train from Mildura, and the Band of the Grenadier Guards arriving from Bendigo, all was now in place for the opening of the Royal South Street band sections on the 1st of November (“GRENADIER GUARDS BAND.,” 1934; “Sunraysia, Land of Sunshine Greets The Duke,” 1934). Twenty-two bands from Victoria, Tasmania, New South Wales, and New Zealand had entered the South Street contests this year and the list of bands and bandmasters in the official souvenir programme can be viewed below (Royal South Street Society, 1934e).
Programme: South Street “Centenary” Brass Band Contest, 1934, p. 4. (Source: Victorian Collections: Victorian Bands’ League Archives)
To have twenty-two bands enter in 1934 was not bad considering that the early thirties were times of upheaval for the Victorian band movement and society in general. In 1931, the Victorian Bands’ League was established having superseded the Victorian Bands’ Association, the Australian economy was recovering after the Great Depression, and the band sections at Royal South Street had resumed in 1932 after an eight year hiatus (de Korte, 2018c, 2020; Royal South Street Society, 1979).
However, it would have been pleasing to see bands from a wide variety of areas coming to South Street. We know that for some bands, like the Phillip Island Brass Band, that they did a considerable amount of fundraising to attend (de Korte, 2019). The line up for bands for the A Grade section represented the best of A grade bands that Victoria had in the day, and having the Woolston Brass Band from Christchurch, N.Z. made the section even more top notch.
Photograph: Phillip Island Brass Band, 1932. (Source: IBEW)
The opening day of the band contest was a spectacular affair with the Royal South Street Society having programmed all events down to the minute. According to various newspaper articles, 10,000 people attended the opening day at Ballarat’s City Oval, no doubt drawn to the fact that the Duke of Gloucester would be there to officially open the contest. The souvenir programme outlined the proceedings of the day as can be seen below.
Programme: South Street “Centenary” Brass Band Contest, 1934, p. 6. (Source: Victorian Collections: Victorian Bands’ League Archives)
In superb weather, everything proceeded to plan, and the bands did their best to produce a ceremony befitting the occasion (“BAND CONTESTS,” 1934). There was a massed band performance, a demonstration of the quickstep, and the Woolston Brass Band even performed a haka for the Duke after the march past of the bands (“DUKE AT BALLARAT,” 1934). That night, the Band of HM Grenadier Guards performed in a concert which would have inspired the bandsmen and audience (Royal South Street Society, 1934e).
Results for the contests were announced on Saturday 3rd of November with another 10,000 people attending to find out the placings. The full results will not be detailed in this post due to space, but they can be found on the RSSS results database via these links:
The Solo contests were held a day before the band sections on the 31st of October. The results of these can be found on the RSSS database via the link:
By all accounts, the standard of playing across all sections was brilliant and the adjudicator was very impressed. The A Grade section in particular was a very hard fought affair, but in the end, the Melbourne Fire Brigade Band won the Besson Shield for the third year in a row (Royal South Street Society, 1934a). The Woolston Brass Band from N.Z. suffered some misfortune when one of their cornet players became ill – the other A Grade bands offered them a choice of cornet players to help out – however, they decided to proceed down a player and were happy to achieve third place (“BRILLIANT PLAYING,” 1934; “PROVINCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS.,” 1934b).
The Duke of Gloucester and the Band of the Grenadier Guards did not stay long in Ballarat as they kept up a tight schedule of touring around Victoria and eventually New Zealand. For the bands themselves there were good stories of their visits to Ballarat. The Yallourn and District Band from Gippsland was one band that was very proud of their efforts in the B Grade section where they achieved second place behind the City of Ballarat Band (“YALLOURN NEWS,” 1934). Of interest is that in early 1935, three cornet players from Victorian bands, including cornetist Jack Allan of the City of Ballarat Band, were offered places in the Band of the Grenadier Guards (“Ballarat Bandsman Invited To Join Grenadier Guards,” 1935). It is unclear whether they took up that offer.
The 1934 South Street contest was no doubt an important part of Victoria’s Centenary celebrations, but it was not the only part. There were other important events taking place.
Events after South Street:
11th of November, 1934: Dedication of the Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne:
Postcard: The National War Memorial of Victoria. Aerial View of Dedication Ceremony, 11/11/1934. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
For the Duke of Gloucester, he kept up a busy schedule around Victoria. However, his most important engagement was the dedication of Melbourne’s newly completed Shrine of Remembrance. This was a very special occasion which was attended by thousands of veterans, people, and important dignitaries. Bands and other musicians also played an important role, and at the dedication, several Australian Army buglers sounded the Last Post standing behind Royal Australian Navy drummers.
Portland Centenary Band Contest:
The town of Portland in the far south-west of Victoria had an important part to play in Victoria’s centenary celebrations. In turn, they staged their own band contest, albeit on a much smaller scale than the South Street contests which had concluded only two weeks earlier (“BAND CONTESTS.,” 1934). The Portland contest was only attended by bands from Hamilton, Heywood and Mt. Gambier, and there was a pipe band contest held at the same time. The Portland contest was won by the band from Mt. Gambier and the adjudicator was Mr. Percy Jones (“Band Contest Won By Mount Gambier,” 1934).
Melbourne Centenary Band Championship, King’s Birthday weekend, June 1935:
The Victorian centenary celebrations stretched into 1935, and a Melbourne Centenary Band Championship was held at the Exhibition Buildings under the auspices of the Victorian Bands’ League. Like the South Street contests, this was another great event for bands, and twenty-one bands participated, as listed in the article below.
The main attraction of this event was a grand parade from Alexandra Avenue to the Exhibition Buildings and quickstep display on the Exhibition oval (“CENTENARY BAND CONTESTS,” 1935). Again, the A Grade section continued the rivalries between Hawthorn, Melbourne Fire Brigade, Brunswick and Collingwood bands, with Hawthorn taking out the A Grade title (“CENTENARY GALA WEEK.,” 1935). Another celebrated win was that of the Malvern Junior Tramways Band when they won their third D Grade title in a row.
What an intense period of activity for bands! It is times like these that our bands came to the fore with all the ceremonial and contest activity, as well as local celebrations. No doubt the communities appreciated the efforts and the entertainment. Having a visiting band of the calibre of the Band of the Grenadier Guards made the Centenary celebrations even more special, and it was noted at the time that they were inspiring to local musicians. The prevailing feeling when all was done was one of accomplishment, not just from the cooperation that made this all happen, but from all that understood the significance of the events. It is not every day that a world-class military band and a Duke visits a band contest.
Duke of Gloucester to Come Here for Centenary Celebrations : AFRICAN TOUR TIRED PRINCE GEORGE. (1934, 05 May). Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 – 1954), 5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article223836381
Kingtson, C. (Ed.). (1934). Grenadier Guards Band : Australia and New Zealand 1934-5 : By Special Permission of His Majesty the King : Official Souvenir : Tour under the Auspices of the Commonwealth Government and the New Zealand Government : In associaion with the Cenenary Celebrations Council of Victoria [Printed programme]. Grenadier Guards Band.
McCubbin, M. (2008). Centenary. In eMelbourne: the city past & present (pp. EM00316b). https://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00316b.htm: The University of Melbourne, School of Historical & Philosophical Studies.
Melbourne Day. (2024). More marvellous than ever: FAQs: What is Melbourne Day? Melbourne Day: 30th August. Retrieved 26 October 2024 from https://www.melbourneday.com.au/about.html
Mildura & District Band, 1930s. (1930). [Photograph]. [phot6314]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Phillip Island Brass Band, 1932. (1932). [Photograph]. [phot16005]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Pleasant Street School Band, Ballarat, 1933. (1933). [Photograph]. [phot20817]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Royal South Street Society. (1934e). [South Street “Centenary” : Brass Band Contest : A, B, C and D Grades]. In S09 – Programs (Printed programme ed., pp. 14). Ballarat, Victoria https://victoriancollections.net.au/items/5d425e0c21ea6b1a84382033: Victorian Bands’ League Archive.
Royal South Street Society. (1979). Royal South Street Society : The First One Hundred Years. Royal South Street Society.
ShrineMelbourne. (2013, 09 January). The Dedication of the Shrine of Remembrance – Remembrance Day 11 November 1934 [Video (Film Clip)]. YouTube. Retrieved 26 October 2024 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHcaXEpVdRA
Sunraysia, Land of Sunshine Greets The Duke : Prince Henry Is Our First Royal Guest. (1934, 31 October). Sunraysia Daily (Mildura, Vic. : 1920 – 1950), 21. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article265829018
The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees. (1934). The National War Memorial of Victoria : Aerial View of Dedication Ceremony [Postcard]. [No. 3]. The Shrine of Remembrance Trustees, Great Britain.
Collingwood Citizens’ Band rehearsing in a quarry, 1906 (Source: IBEW: phot19034)
Introduction:
The Prahran City Band, under the veteran conductor, E. T. Code, next took the stand. This band showed a wise departure in abandoning the old-fashioned circle and forming in a half-moon, and consequently, every man was facing his leader, and no one was nearer the judge than his neighbour. This method is an improvement and should be adopted by all bandsmen, and a better balance of tone will be accomplished. (“BRASS BAND CONTESTS.,” 1911)
So said a knowledgeable observer from Bendigo who was visiting the Ballarat and listening to the 1911 Royal South Street Eisteddfod band sections. Obviously, he noticed a distinct difference in the sound of the Prahran City Band as opposed to bands that mounted the platform and stood in a circle with the conductor in the middle. Granted, this was in 1911, so the wording is interesting. Bands standing in circles for certain performances was the status quo then. Old fashioned? Possibly. However, as with anything in the band movement, any significant change took time, and Australian bands generally followed developments from England. Is it ironic that the status quo was shaken up by an Australian brass band visiting England? There is more to that story.
Playing within the confines of band rotundas and on the elevated platforms used at band contests meant that bands performed in all sorts of shapes – circles, squares, the half-moon (thanks to Prahran City Band), and other formations. As a historical curiosity in the band movement, these formations bring the question of why because even though some unusual formations are necessary in modern times, in general, brass bands now perform in a generic formation wherever possible.
This post is about band formations mainly in outdoor settings, although some might say this applies to indoor performances as well. Unfortunately, there is a lack of written information about the specifics of early brass band formations for performances – no one has written a manual (apart from marching). Much of what can be discussed comes from the anecdotal evidence of photographs and the odd review of contests. The assumption then can be made that when bands formed up on elevated platforms and in band rotundas, formations were dictated by the platform’s shape and the conductor’s discretion.
Elevation:
One common element that has stood the test of time is the elevation of a musical ensemble for performances. A stage or platform tends to mean that bands (and orchestras, choirs, etc.) are better heard and seen by the audience. The Kalgoorlie Miner newspaper noted as such when reviewing a performance by the A.W.A. Brass Band in September 1903 prior to this band making the long journey to compete in Ballarat.
The advantages of an elevated position for band performers in submitting their programmes to the judgement of the public was made abundantly manifest at the Boulder Recreation Reserve last night when the various items in the bill were given from a temporary rotunda or covered-in platform, erected by the Boulder Orchestral society, to facilitate the object of the gathering last evening, and also for use when the members of that particular organisation take up the running in the absence of local bands at the Ballarat competitions. The players were not hemmed in and incommoded by spectators, and the music was conveyed with better effect. (“THE A.W.A. BRASS BAND.,” 1903)
Bands had also noted the advantages of band rotundas and bandstands, and the visit of the Besses o’ th’ Barn Band to Victoria was a catalyst for further work (de Korte, 2021). According to an article published in The Age newspaper in October 1907, Code’s Brass Band lamented the lack of facilities for performances.
It was mentioned that the great enthusiasm aroused by the playing of the Besses o’ th’ Barn Band should have the effect of showing the authorities that good band music is appreciated by the general public, and drawing their attention to the lack of facilities in Melbourne for bands to give open air performances. What is badly needed is the erection of suitable rotundas or band stands in public parks and reserves. At present when a band gives an open air performance, an unsightly temporary stand must be erected, or they must play standing on the grass, a proceeding not at all satisfactory either to the musicians or their audiences. (“CODE’S BRASS BAND.,” 1907)
Band Rotundas:
Band rotundas, by nature of design, were largely elevated structures, some more than others. Rotundas are also a classic example of where the structure somewhat dictated how a band was arranged. Older band rotundas in Australia were often designed in an octagon with the central performance area occupied with a ring of music stands and space for the conductor in the middle. Whenever a rotunda was opened in a locality, it was a special occasion as it meant the local band had a proper performance space, as this article published in The Daily Telegraph newspaper about the new structure constructed by the Newtown Brass Band shows.
A desire having been expressed that it should give more frequent public performances, arrangements have been made for it to play every week in one of the local parks – Victoria Park, Marrickville, and Erskineville. Hitherto the band has suffered under a great disadvantage when playing in the open by not having a proper stand. The result was that the players were liable to be encroached upon by the crowd, causing much inconvenience, whilst the music was not heard at its best. The attempts to get a stand provided for them having failed, the members, who included several tradesmen, set about constructing one of their own. They did all the work themselves, the only cost being that of the materials. They have succeeded in producing a structure admirably adapted for its purpose. It is octagonal in shape and will accommodate about 40 performers. It can be taken to pieces without much trouble, and removed on one day, the work of fixing it up occupying only about a quarter of an hour. There is an outer platform, on which the players will stand, uprights carrying supports for the music, whilst the conductor, from a smaller stand in the centre, has everything under his control. (“NEWTOWN BRASS BAND.,” 1904)
The band rotunda at Rushworth in northern Victoria is an example of this style of design. Below is a postcard dating from 1907 and a later photograph of the rotunda – thankfully, the ring of music stands has not been removed over a century later (de Korte, 2024c).
Postcard: Band Rotunda, Rushworth, Victoria, 1907. (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
Photograph: Queen Jubilee Band Rotunda. (The photograph was taken by Jeremy de Korte, 26/05/2024)
It can be seen that this particular rotunda is a bit on the small size, and when visiting the town, this author was told by townspeople that the current Rushworth and District Concert Band does not play up on this rotunda at present due to space constraints. As with any structure of this type, they are of all different sizes and designs. Images of band rotundas from all over Australia can be viewed on the companion blog, Australian Band Stands: Iconic structures in towns and cities.
What a band might have experienced when playing on a rotunda like this can be viewed below where we can see the New South Wales Artillery Band playing at the Hyde Park Rotunda. The band members can just be seen standing around the edges of the rotunda facing inwards towards the conductor.
Postcard: Sydney : Hyde Park : Band-Musique de l’artillerie – Artillerie-Kapelle, (date unknown). (Source: Jeremy de Korte Collection)
Platforms:
Bands playing on temporary platforms was quite common, and again, still is to a certain extent. Like playing on rotundas, platforms tended to dictate the shape in which a band performed. Circles and rectangles tended to be the norm, but as the Prahan City Band demonstrated, other formations were used (“BRASS BAND CONTESTS.,” 1911). Perhaps the Collingwood Citizens’ Band, seen in the photograph at the head of this post, was rehearsing in a circle in preparation for a contest.
Thankfully, there are some newspaper articles and photographs that show bands performing on an elevated platform at a contest. The series of photographs below taken at the Inverell (N.S.W.) Musical Festival in 1907 and published in The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser newspaper is a perfect example. As we can see, the bands are on the platform formed up in a circle. The temporary platform is in full view, and when each band is getting their photograph taken, the next band is taking their turn on the platform. The photographs are displayed here separately, and the photograph of the massed bands has also been included.
Hillgrove Brass Band – Inverell Musical Festival. The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 10/04/1907, p. 925
Narrabri Enterprise Band – Inverell Musical Festival. The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 10/04/1907, p. 925
Emmaville Miners’ Brass Band – Inverell Musical Festival. The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 10/04/1907, p. 925
Howell Brass Band – Inverell Musical Festival. The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 10/04/1907, p. 925
Massed Bands – Toowoomba Australis (left), Newtown Brass Band (front), Inverell Austral Band (right) – Inverell Musical Festival. The Sydney Mail and New South Wales Advertiser, 10/04/1907, p. 925
Likewise, the 1911 Kalgoorlie Brass Band Competitions and Eisteddfod was well-documented by photographer Mr. R. Vere Scott, and his photos were published in the Kalgoorlie Western Argus newspaper (Scott, 1911b). On a side note, this contest was notable as it not only included some Western Australian bands but also the Broken Hill Band, which made the long journey to Kalgoorlie, as can be read about in a previous post (de Korte, 2019). One of the photographs that Mr. Scott took was of the Boulder City Band taking their turn on the contest platform on the main oval (Scott, 1911a). From looking at this photograph, one wonders how much the audience heard as the band members were all facing the conductor in the middle, and only some of the band members were likely to be pointing their instruments at the audience in the stands.
Boulder City Band – Kalgoorlie Brass Band Competitions and Eisteddfod. Kalgoorlie Western Argus, 10/10/1911, p. 21
Elevating an ensemble was important enough for the musicians and the audience. Yet there was the issue of sound production as well. It could be assumed that it was possibly easier to hear a band playing on rotunda due to the roof reflecting sound outwards. But what about a band playing in a shape on a platform? How much of that was heard? Would it be better for a whole band to project outwards, generally in one direction?
Much happened in 1924. The Malvern Tramways Band did not travel to the United Kingdom to compete in the famous English band competitions, as they were widely expected to do (de Korte, 2024a). However, the Newcastle Steel Works Band did travel to England and caused a stir when they got there, mainly for the fact that they won two of the major championships and came third in another major championship (Greaves, 2005). This was in addition to the numerous concerts and other events the band played at to earn some money during the tour – the trip was very expensive (Bythell, 1994; Helme, 2017).
While the Newcastle band astonished the English band aficionados with their playing, they did something else that changed the band world forever; they went on stage at the Belle Vue contest in Manchester – their second contest of the tour – and sat in a concert formation (Greaves, 1996).
Now, admittedly, the band had sat in concert formations at previous concerts in England, but this was the first time the band had sat in this formation at a contest.
Although they had already sat in formation at previous contests, the audience at the King’s Hall were still taken aback when the Newcastle Steel Works players arrived on stage – each carrying a wooden chair. They then proceeded to sit in the now ‘traditional’ formation before Albert Baile took the stage. (Mutum, 2024)
The Australian band historian Jack Greaves (1996) provides us with a more detailed description of the event and the implications of what Newcastle set in motion.
The year 1924 also saw the introduction by the Australian visitors of a new innovation at the Belle Vue contest. Up till then, it was customary for bandsmen to stand in a circle on the contest platform during the entire rendition of the test selection. Tradition was broken by the visitors, however, for when their turn to play came, each man carried on to the platform his own chair and the band then arranged itself into a horseshoe formation. As they were the second last band to play, it meant that each bandsman had the responsibility of retaining possession of his own chair for most of the day, which also meant carrying it about with him wherever he went. From then on, all bands at Belle Vue have played seated.” (pp. 49-50)
There is no record as to which Newcastle band member thought up the new formation, although one would suspect that Conductor Albert Baile was the instigator. Various accounts, however, do mention the band being coached by conductors James Ord Hume and William Rimmer prior to the Belle Vue contest – did they also have an influence? (Bythell, 1994; Greaves, 2005). Interestingly, the hall at the time was one of those arenas where the audience could watch the band from all four sides, so having a band perform on chairs in a concert formation must have been a novelty for them (Helme, 2017). One of the reasons (nominally the weakest reason) the English commentators used to justify Newcastle’s win was the different seating formation (Bythell, 1994).
So yes, it did take an Australian band visiting England to change the seating formation of brass bands. Below are photographs of the Newcastle Steel Works Band and their conductor Albert Baile upon their return to Australia in 1925 as published by The Observer newspaper.
Newcastle Steel Works Band. Observer, 10/01/1925, p. 34
What is evident from this little story is that evolution in the band world takes time and can happen quite suddenly. This was not a movement that did not copy developments in the orchestral world where orchestras had been sitting in a concert formation for centuries. As can be seen in the photographs from England and Australia, playing on an elevated platform was part of the performance practice. Playing in a shape with the conductor in the middle, which was a part of contests for the best part of three decades was something that could have been changed quite easily. However, for some reason, it was accepted musical practice for the benefit of the conductor, and possibly an adjudicator, but not for an audience sitting at a distance.
We can thank the innovations of the Newcastle Steelworks Band a century ago for changing the playing formations. What they did went from novelty to accepted practice very quickly.
References:
Band Contest, Yallourn. (n.d.). [Photograph]. [phot8000]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
BRASS BAND CONTESTS : THE BALLARAT COMPETITIONS : A BENDIGONIAN’S IMPRESSIONS. (1911, 31 October). Bendigo Independent (Vic. : 1891 – 1918), 3. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226819795
Bythell, D. (1994). Class, community, and culture: The case of the brass band in Newcastle. Labour History(67), 144-155. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27509281
Collingwood Citizens’ Band rehearsing in a quarry. (1906). [Photograph]. [phot19034]. The Internet Bandsman Everything Within, Vintage Brass Band Pictures – Australia. http://www.ibew.org.uk/vbbp-oz.html
Colliver Photo. (1907). Band Rotunda, Rushworth, Victoria [Postcard]. [194458]. W. T. Pater, Printers and Stationers, Shepparton, Victoria; Melbourne, Victoria.
Greaves, J. (1996). The Great Bands of Australia [booklet] [2 sound discs (CD) : digital ; 4 3/4 in. + 1 booklet]. Sydney, N.S.W., Sound Heritage Association Ltd. https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/2372005
Scott, R. V. (1911b, 10 October). KALGOORLIE BRASS BAND COMPETITIONS AND EISTEDDFOD. Kalgoorlie Western Argus (WA : 1896 – 1916), 21. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article33398332
Ward & Farrans Exchange Studios. (n.d.). Sydney : Hyde Park : Band-Musique de l’artillerie – Artillerie-Kapelle [Postcard]. [No. 48]. L. v. K., Sydney, N.S.W.
Band Blasts from the Past 