The class teaching of music in state-supported schools in Victoria, 1853-1905

While studying recent developments in the class teaching of music in schools both overseas and in Australia, I became interested in the way in which music had been introduced into the early schools of Victoria, and began to ask these questions. Who were the first teachers of music in Victoria? What methods did they use? From whom did they learn their methods and what was the content of their lessons? After some background reading and thought I decided to begin this investigation, limiting it for the present, to the content and method of teaching music in the state-controlled schools in Victoria from 1853 - 1905. In the pages which follow, I hope to show how a tradition of music teaching was established in Victorian schools, tracing through England, influences from Germany and France. So that the methods of teaching used and the content of the lessons may be revealed, a survey will be made of the life and work of those concerned with the introduction of music into the elementary schools of England and Victoria. The training; of teachers of class music in Victoria will be discussed and, in so far as it is relevent to the period being investigated, music in secondary education will be included. As far as I can discover, no other research has been carried out in this subject in Australia. I hope that what I have written will not only arouse interest, but assist in increasing among leaders in education an appreciation of the value of music in schools. I should like to thank the following people, all of whom have shown great interest and have given me help and encouragement: Mr. E.L.French and Dr. T.II.Coates, School of Education, The University of Melbourne; Mr. !1.C.Brideson, Research Service of The Public Library of South Australia; officers of The Mitchell and Public Libraries, Sydney, The Public Library of Victoria, The Library of The Australian Council of Educational Research, Melbourne, and the Library of The Royal Historical Society of Victoria, Melbourne; Mr. Geoff. H.Allan, Managing Director of Allan & Co., Melbourne, for the access to the diary of Mr. George Leavis Allan; Mr. bar' of Allan & Co., for his assistance in locating copies of early music published by Allan & Co.; Mr. J.Alex. Allan, Clifton Hill, Melbourne, author of "The Old Model School", who lent me relevent original documents; Mrs. A.L.Eastaugh, South Lyndurst, Seaford, for information about her relative Mr. August Siede; Miss Gladys Rhys Davies, Beach Street, East Malvern, author of "Music Makers of the Sunny South", for a copy of her book and access to the original notes from which it was written; and Mr. A.E.H.Nickson of the University Conservatorium, Melbourne, who gave me valuable advice