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First World War: Music

The Library has rich holdings of music from this era including marches, patriotic songs and sheet music with highly decorative and evocative covers. Much of it has been digitised and is available online through our catalogue.

Catalogue search tips

Music can be found in the catalogue by searching by subject. Some useful subject headings to search include:

Keywords such as the following can also be used:

  • 'soldiers songs australia'
  • 'music australia world war 1914'
  • 'conscription music'

Use the ‘Limit your search’ options next to your search results to limit your search by format to music.

black and white photo of soldiers sitting and standing while a man plays the piano

Fairfax Corporation, Australian and foreign soldiers surrounding a soldier playing the piano, New South Wales, ca. 1918, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-163305679

Fairfax Corporation, Australian and foreign soldiers surrounding a soldier playing the piano, New South Wales, ca. 1918, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-163305679

Featured resources

cover of book 'Echoes of ANZAC'

Graham Seal, (2005), Echoes of Anzac : the voice of Australians at war, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3158768

Graham Seal, (2005), Echoes of Anzac : the voice of Australians at war, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3158768

cover of music score 'Daddy's in the Dardenelles'

Roger Cameron & Charles Vaude, (1916), Daddy's in the Dardanelles, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-164789804

Roger Cameron & Charles Vaude, (1916), Daddy's in the Dardanelles, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-164789804

An engaging study of how music lifted the Anzac spirit in the battlefields of the First World War.

cover of book 'And the Band Played On'

Robert Holden, (2014), And the band played on, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn6419679

Robert Holden, (2014), And the band played on, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn6419679

cover of music score 'For Auld Land Syne! Australia will be there'

Skipper Francis, (1916), For auld lang syne! Australia will be there, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-164855217

Skipper Francis, (1916), For auld lang syne! Australia will be there, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-164855217

Case study

"I am looking for music of the Great War"

First let's conduct a search of the Library’s catalogue for music. The following subject headings may be useful to begin with:

For general historical works on music and the First World War try searching on the following subject heading:

The Library also holds as part of its Oral history collection a recording of songs from this era, sung by Mr Ollie Moore.

Page published: 17 Jan 2024

Also in this guide

photo of soldiers waving flags and cheering as they walk down a street

Herbert H Fishwick & Fairfax Corporation, Crowd celebrates Armistice Day in Hunter Street, Sydney, 1918, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-163312494

Online resources

Some selected online First World War resources, including Australian and international websites and online subscription databases, which may be useful to researchers.

Research guide
An image of a book cover called 'The Anzac book' with a colour drawing of an Anzac soldier holding a rifle with a bandage around his head, and a torn, tattered flag showing mostly the Union jack'.

Australia. Army. Australian Imperial Force (1914-1921). (1916). The Anzac book / written and illustrated in Gallipolli by the men of Anzac. London ; New York ; Toronto ; Melbourne : Cassell nla.gov.au/nla.obj-18456506

Focus: Gallipoli

On April 25, 1915, the Australian troops, together with troops from New Zealand, Britain and France, landed at what came to be called ANZAC Cove.

Research guide
newspaper clipping about a Gundagai soldier decorated in World War 1

GUNDAGAI SOLDIER DECORATED. (1918, December 31). The Gundagai Times and Tumut, Adelong and Murrumbidgee District Advertiser (NSW : 1868 - 1931), p. 2., nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130752258

Focus: Finding a soldier

If you are looking for a soldier,  there are many published resources at the National Library to assist you.

Research guide
colourful poster with a map of Australia, flags from 6 different countries, and the words 'Australia's First Expeditionary Force'

Australia's first expeditionary force, 1914, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1574418

Printed collections

The Australian and overseas printed collections at the National Library contain substantial material which can support research into the First World War.

Research guide

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