Folklore performances and oral history interviews recorded between 1981 and 1989, containing music, recitations and recollections of performances and local history.

Discover the legacy of Dame Nellie Melba, one of opera’s greatest voices, through her unique collection. Featuring sheet music, personal letters, and rare items from her iconic career, this collection offers an intimate glimpse into her rise from Australian talent to international soprano. Explore her artistry, personal connections, and lasting impact on the world of opera.

Overseas and Australian sheet music, including some manuscripts, with the main strengths popular songs and piano music of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Module

This resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: The Arts for years 5 & 6 students.

Topic

One of the world’s oldest music traditions that is still performed is the bunggul ceremony. This can be seen annually at the Garma Festival held in Gulkula, a sacred site in north-east Arnhem Land. The Garma Festival runs for four days and observes the traditions and customs of the Yolngu people.

Recordings of Australian folk songs, dance music, recitations and oral history, collected by folklorist John Meredith (1920–2001). The collection also includes photographs and manuscripts documenting folk traditions and the bush music revival.

Personal papers of Warren Fahey’s activities as an entrepreneur, musician and writer from 1967-1998 and a collection of folkloric recordings.

Discover the Symphony Australia Collection, featuring unpublished music by Australian composers from 1910 to 1970, including Alfred Hill, Peter Sculthorpe, and Margaret Sutherland. With chamber, choral, orchestral, and vocal pieces, as well as works from the colonial era and Eugene Goossens, this collection, donated in 2001, is a key resource in Australian music history.

Discover the legacy of Don Banks, one of Australia’s most innovative composers, in the Don Banks Collection. Featuring music manuscripts, sound recordings, and personal papers, this collection celebrates Banks' pioneering work across jazz, classical, and film music. A true trailblazer, his fusion of genres continues to inspire and shape Australia's cultural landscape.

Mostly Australian and New Zealand sheet music, the majority from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries collected by Charles Begg.

The Library has a diverse collection of materials documenting the history of Australian musical performance.

We hold one of Australia’s largest collections of performing arts materials.