The Library has rich holdings of music from this era including marches, patriotic songs and sheet music with highly decorative and evocative covers. Much of it has been digitised and is available online through our catalogue

Catalogue search tips

Music can be found in the catalogue by searching by subject. Some useful subject headings to search include:

Keywords such as the following can also be used:

  • 'soldiers songs australia'
  • 'music australia world war 1914'
  • 'conscription music'

 Use the ‘Limit your search’ options next to your search results to limit your search by format to music.

Case Study

Question: "I am looking for music of the Great War"

Answer: First let's conduct a search of the Library’s catalogue for music. The following subject headings may be useful to begin with:

 For general historical works on music and the First World War try searching on the following subject heading:

 The Library also holds as part of its Oral history collection a recording of songs from this era, sung by Mr Ollie Moore.  

Cameron, Roger. & Ridgway, Charles.  (1916).  Daddy's in the Dardanelles

And the band played on

Holden, Robert.  (2014).  And the band played on.  Richmond, Victoria :  Hardie Grant Books

An engaging study of how music lifted the Anzac spirit in the battlefields of the First World War. 

Francis, W. W.  (1916).  For auld lang syne! Australia will be there.

Not sure where to start?