Sheet music has been printed in Australia for almost 200 years.

Because of the very small population - especially at the beginning of the 20th century - the quantities printed were not very large. Some of the charming early examples are hand drawn.

Before the advent of Radio in the 1920's the best way of publicising music was to have an attractive cover to entice the buyer and, just as in America and Europe, music shops employed pianists to play the latest music hall hits.

Often the front cover picture on a particular popular song was similar to the American and English covers. Sometimes these appear to have been from the original plates and sometimes it seems that an Ausralian artist has gone to great pains to copy the original as closely as possible. This leads to some interesting variations for collectors.
More Sheet Music For Sale
The Michael Weston Organisation acts as curator of the Queensland Music Archive - a private foundation set up to preserve sheet music printed between 1850 and 1940.  While the music itself is generally of little interest to the contemporary world, the early popular songs do reveal interesting insights into the culture, morals and aspirations of the developing nation.

From around the 1940's music publishers could no longer afford to employ artists and the covers became correspondingly mundane - often displaying a photograph of the recording artist who made the song popular.
Title Music and Words Date Condition Graphic Category
A.I.F Parade (The) Sgt Tom Wanless 191? good sketch head of Aussie digger australiana, war
Along the Road To Gundagai (2) Jack O'Hagan 1922 fair Australian bush road with sheep and a drover Australiana
Anzac Marseillaise (The) A.J.Smith 1916 good b&w engraving of a wreath war, patriotic
As a Mother Loves Her Son Harrington, Le Brun, Felix Le Roy 191? fair British & Australian Soldier shaking hands Australian, patriotic
Aussies and the Yanks are Here Johnny Nauer 1942 vgood Australian and American flags. Photo of soldier Australiana, patriotic,war
Australian Cradle Song Leonard G. Lee 1914? excellent Mother watching over baby asleep in crib. Ghost of soldier in background Australiana, patriotic
Australia's Boys in Khaki and Blue Sgt. S.D.Hewitt, AIF 1916 fair photo of WW1 soldier (S.D.Hewitt?) Australiana, patriotic, war
Boys of Australia C Robertson 1915 poor Photo of marching Australian soldiers. Flags of Allies Australian, patriotic
Boys of the Dardanelles (The) C W McCarthy, Harry Taylor 1914? excellent No picture. Red & Blue lettering Australiana, patriotic
Britannia's School Sam Richards 1906 VGood Photo of Frank Herbert Australiana, patriotic
Brown Slouch Hat (A) George Wallace 1942 poor Australian army brown slouch hat. Inset photo Jenny Howard patriotic. Australian stars
Bundaberg George Walker 1927 EFine Girl in country scene girls, australiana, place name
Come on Boys, We're wanting you all Ad. Cree, John Meighan 1914 good Woman in WW1 Army uniform. Miss Jenny Cree war, patriotic
Coronation Schottische (The) G.A.Hedley 1916 good b&w engraving of King George V royalty, Australiana
Croa-jingo-long Pat Dunlop, Alice Lind 1923 excellent photo of bullock train crossing river in Australian bush Australiana
Don't Forget Australia Allan Rattray, Francis Mack 1918 Good Britannia greeting Australian Soldier Australian, patriotic
For Auld land Syne Australia Will be There W W Francis 1916 good British & Australian flag, picture of author in frame patriotic, war song, flags
Gee! I've Got a Wonderful Baby Sidney E.Percy, A.Jolly 1924 good girl with tiny man on a leash fashion,Australiana
Hold me In Your Arms Tonight Ada Elizabeth Starr ? fine Couple in evening dress dancing Couples, Australiana
How Do Yer Do-Di-Day? Harry Bedford, R.P.Weston, Bert Gilbert 1908 fair Red & Green lettered cover. Inset photo of Bert Gilbert Australiana
Hustling Hinkler Abel Baer, L Wolfe Gilbert 1927 fair Bert Hinkler Australiana, transport, exploration
I Want a Pardon For Daddy Chas E Roat 1926 good photo guy at piano Australiana
I'm Going Back to Yarrawonga Neil Mc Beath 1919 vgood photo of Ella Shields in Top hat and tails australiana, gays
I'm Gonna Hump my Bluey Jack O'Hagan 1916 fair swaggie walking into sunset. Photo Jack O'Hagan australiana
Kingsford Smith Jack O'Hagan 1928 vgood aeroplane inset photos Kingsford Smith and C.T.Pulm Australiana, aircraft
Leonore Albert Cazabon, Marco Valleyne 1928 fine silver ink pic of moonlit boating scene.Photo Ronald Colman & Vilma Banky australiana, personalities
Murray Moon (The) R A A Stoneham, C J De Garis 1922 vgood pen an ink moonlit river scene Australiana
O! Sydney I love You S.A.C.McLeod ? good saiboat on Sydney harbour Sydney,boats, Australiana
Old Fashioned Bonnet and Shawl Rawdon Blandford, Yorke Gray ? excellent mother figure in bonnet and shawl australiana, costume, mothers
Our Marjorie Jack O'Hagan 1952 vgood drawing of sprinter Australiana, sport
Possum Song Terry Shand, By Dunham 1947 good Orange Yellow background, possum in tree animals, Australiana
Rallying Round the Flag Edward H Tyrrell, Clara Wright 1914 Good Australian Soldiers on cliffs under an English flag Australiana, patriotic,war
Rose of Australia Nellie Smith 1913 fair red rose. Photo of Nellie Stewart australiana
Sunny Australia E Murphy 1955 excellent wattle tree landscape australiana
Take Your Hats off to Amy Johnson Billy Maloney 1930 vgood photo Amy Johnson and aeroplane. Map of route from UK to Aus Australiana, transport, exploration
There are Greater Things Than Cheers Tom Scannell 1945? fine Photo of Australian soldiers marching, drawing of soldier Australian, patriotic
V for Victory Peter Dawson 1941 good laurel wreath and V sign australiana, war
Waltz of Love (The) Tom Armstrong, Hal Dyson ? fair couple in moonlit garden couples, australian
Whispering Hope Alice Hawthorne 1950 Efine Single rose - screenprint Flowers, Australiana
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