South Australia has a rich musical heritage with the State Library's music collection now consisting of more than 7000 titles. Our aim is to collect all recordings by South Australian artists in all genres and all formats, whether recorded locally, interstate or overseas.
The largest holding for a single artist is for the the renowned, and prolific, baritone Peter Dawson. Born in Adelaide in 1882, he began his recording career in 1904. A long career followed and the Library holds over 400 of his recordings.
Other artists held include jazz pianist Dave Dallwitz, the Whyalla Choral Society from the 1940s, Jane Peters, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the South Australian Public Schools Music Society
PRG 1280/29/20, The Masters Apprentices, 1966.
Of course the Library also holds the recordings of well known rock/pop bands such as The Penny Rockets, The Twilights, The Masters Apprentices, Fraternity, Mississippi, Cold Chisel, The Angels, No Fixed Address, Redgum, Mark of Cain, Superjesus and the Hilltop Hoods. Singers who began their careers in South Australia such as Julie Anthony, Kamahl, Bev Harrell, Robyn Archer, Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers and Guy Sebastian are also collected.
Some well known identities also feature including Anne Wills, John Vincent, Ernie Sigley, Neil Kerley and Graham Cornes. Even Humphrey B. Bear appears on record.
The holdings for each artist may be found by searching the Library Catalogue under name.
The State Library's SA Memory website highlights two aspects of the story of South Australian music. You can view the complete music of many songs in the sheet music section or explore the artists that appeared on Adelaide's Greasy Pop record label including listening to excerpts of songs.
More information at SA Memory
More information at SA Memory
The Library has a wealth of unpublished South Australian material that can be found in the Library catalogue by the name of the person, organisation or business that collected the material. Some of the archival records held by the Library are:
Brenton Langbein papers of Brenton Langbein, musician conductor and composer, leader of Die Kammermusiker Zurich
Masters Apprentices papers of Graham Longley, former manager of the rock group The Masters Apprentices 1965-1967
The Early Music Society records of the Early Music Society of South Australia Inc. comprising cash books, minutes, correspondence and programmes
William Sanders -scrapbooks of the music critic of the Register
5UV Musical Brunch program copies of the Musical Brunch program featuring a half hour 'Desert Island disc' style interview with a local or national identity and a half hour guest interview with a musical performer of the week
S.A. Music Teachers' Association records of the Music Teachers' Association consisting of minutes, ledgers, files, membership records, correspondence and cash books.