Rhoderick McNeil, The Australian symphony from Federation to 1960, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn6422773

Catalogue search tips

Find music in the Library collection using the Catalogue search. Some useful keywords to use include:

• National songs Australia
• Patriotic music Australia
• Federation Australia music
• Advance Australia Fair

In the results list, under Limit your search, limit the Format to Music. To find online items, use the Access limit to limit the results to National Library (digitised item)

In our reference collection

The following material is in the Main Reading Room Reference collection. No call slip is required.

• A chronological history of Australian composers and their compositions / researched, compiled and edited by Stephen Pleskun
  RF 780.P726
  Vol 1 1901-1954 covers the Federation period
• Oxford companion to Australian music
  RF 780.99403 O98

Oral history

Although there are very few recordings available of people living at Federation, in 2001 the National Library undertook to record the voices of 100 Australians who at the centenary of federation were 100 years of age or older. These are available in the 100 centenarians, the children of federation oral history project.

John H. Nicholson & S. G. Benson, Sons of Britannia a Federation song, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-164926468

Related link

The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt (1916), a simulated film clip of Australian troops docking in Egypt, is possibly the first recording of 'Advance Australia fair'.

In 2001, the National Library held the Music of Federation concert at which this and other patriotic music items written at the turn of the century were performed.

Advance Australia Fair

P. D. McCormick, Advance Australia fair, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-165472465

Peter Dodds McCormick or 'Amicus' was the composer of the patriotic song which was later to become the national anthem of Australia. It was first performed in 1878, and later at the inauguration of the Commonwealth.

Library collections

The Musica Australis collection, part of the larger Symphony Australia collection, contains musical works from the colonial period, including some dating around Federation.

Trove

Trove is a great source for finding music of the Federation period.

There are curated lists such as this one on Australian Patriotic Music - Federation of Australia.

The digitised newspapers also provide information on new music composed to celebrate the great event. The reviews of music include those deemed to be worthy and those felt to be merely mediocre.

Thomas A. Ricketts, Federation polka, 1900, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-174138107