Benvenuti Collection

Explore Queensland’s musical past through the Benvenuti Collection — a treasure trove of concert programs, photos and sheet music gathered by generations of a remarkable musical family. From orchestral scores to theatre ephemera, this collection traces the performances, events and cultural life shaped by the Benvenutis, who brought their talent from Italy to Queensland in the 1870s and helped build the state’s early musical scene.

Performing arts

Four men posing in dress suits holding musical instruments.

Benvenuti Family (l to r - Victorio Guiseppi, Luigi Antonio, Italo Angelo and Antonio Giovanni), 1890, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-143662956

Key items in the collection

Highlights from this collection demonstrate its historical significance and variety.

The Benvenuti Collection comprises 134 items, primarily concert programs, dance programs, dance cards, invitations and menus. The material dates from 1882 to 1966, although the bulk of the collection falls between 1882 and 1940.

Most items document cultural events held in Brisbane, particularly at Government House, the Town Hall and the Brisbane Club. Regional representation includes events in Ipswich, Roma, Beaudesert, Charters Towers and Charleville.

The collection provides insight into the activities of key musical and theatrical institutions of the period, including Her Majesty’s Theatre, the Brisbane Musical Union, the Brisbane Orchestral Society and the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra.

The collection includes 3 photographs of members of the Benvenuti family, including one of Antonio Benvenuti and his 3 sons.

About the Benvenuti family

Musical roots in Italy

The Benvenuti family were respected musicians in Padua, Italy, for many generations. Antonio Benvenuti (1820–1896) was a violinist who migrated to Queensland in 1871. Once in Australia, he taught violin, opened a music school, and formed the Benvenuti Orchestra with his 3 sons.

The next generation in Queensland

Antonio’s sons, Luigi, Italo and Victor, became key figures in Brisbane’s musical scene:

Luigi Benvenuti (1859–1934) played double bass in local groups including the Brisbane Orchestral Society and the Brisbane Musical Union.
Italo Benvenuti (1861–1932) played oboe in many of the same ensembles.
Victor Benvenuti (1864–1921) was a pianist, teacher and orchestral conductor. He also composed music, including Australia’s Call to Arms and the Duke and Duchess of York’s March (1901).

Leo Benvenuti’s legacy

Luigi’s son, Leo Benvenuti (1900–1975), continued the family tradition as a violinist. He performed with theatre orchestras and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and was well known in Brisbane. He often organised musical events at Government House.

Leo and other family members also built a large collection of orchestral, chamber, piano and band music. They hired this collection out to theatre and cinema orchestras, as well as the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra.

Background to the collection

The Benvenuti Collection was donated to the Library in 1998–2000 by Gilda Benvenuti, the daughter of Leo Benvenuti.

The printed items are kept together in 2 boxes in the Ephemera Collection. They have been catalogued as a collection and an item list is kept with the collection.

The photographs are catalogued individually and kept in the Pictures Collection.

This guide was prepared using these references: