What types of music were performed and enjoyed in early colonial New South Wales? How did the sounds reflect the environment—shaped by Aboriginal Country and its seasonal changes—as well as various spaces like settler homes, pubs, and theatres? These questions drive a group of researchers at the University of Sydney, who are exploring musical practices through the Australian Research Council Discovery Project, Hearing the Music of Early NSW 1788-1860. By using performance as a means to uncover sonic histories, the project investigates Indigenous, classical, popular, and folk music traditions.
One focus is a song once sung by Sydney’s fishing community at Tubowgule, the future site of the Sydney Opera House. This song, recorded by figures like John Hunter and David Collins, features lyrics that describe a joyful fishing scene. Collins wrote: “Having strolled down to the Point named Too-bow-gu-lie, I saw the sister and the young wife of Ben-nil-long coming round the Point in the new canoe… They were keeping time with their paddles, responsive to the words of a song.”
Today, Boorooberongal and Cannemegal Darug woman Jacinta Tobin, alongside Ceane Towers and others, has revitalized this song, culminating in a performance at Sydney’s Botanic Gardens, overlooking the Harbour. The event also featured a nawee (canoe) created by Dean Kelly and shared by Matt Poll, emphasizing the deep connections to ancient musical traditions. Tobin remarked, “these songs from times past – like the whales still travel and sing – will be shared with all again.”
Additionally, a snow-making song from Ngarigu Country has been reinterpreted in this project. Originally sung by women of the ‘Menero tribe’ and noted by 19th-century explorer John Lhotsky, the song was documented in his published work A Song of the Women of the Menero Tribe near the Australian Alps. Jakelin Troy, a Ngarigu woman, emphasized its significance: “The song is a document of immeasurable importance, bringing the voice of [my] ancestors into the present.” Troy and fellow community members performed a stripped-down version of the song, reclaiming lost sonic elements.
The project also delves into settler music. Utilizing a letter from 1833, historical pianist Neal Peres Da Costa and music historian Graeme Skinner sought to revive early settler music. The letter, written by Sydney musician William Cavendish, included compositions for quadrilles and waltzes that Cavendish created for his popular dance events in Sydney. To recreate this atmosphere, they performed at Elizabeth Bay House using a historical English Square Piano, reviving the sounds of the 1830s.
On October 5, Cavendish’s Fairy Quadrilles and Waltzes will be performed again in collaboration with the State Library of New South Wales, where the original letter and other historical items will be showcased.
Another aspect of the project, led by Toby Martin, examines popular 19th-century ballads that often referenced contemporary events and themes. One such ballad, Bold Jack Donohue, was so popular—and considered dangerous—that it was banned in Sydney taverns. The story revolves around Jack Donohue, an Irish bushranger who arrived in 1825 and became notorious for his exploits. The earliest version of the ballad appeared shortly after his death in 1830, and it is being reimagined for performance at the Macquarie Arms Hotel, a venue significant to the song’s history.
Set on Darug land, the Macquarie Arms Hotel was a site for early renditions of songs like Bowman Went to Campbelltown and Plains of Emu. The performance will also incorporate instrumental music and Darug songs, highlighting the intertwined and contested musical histories of the region.
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