They surprised them with national airs: Aboriginal brass bands, tourism and sentimental colonialism

Abstract

Aboriginal missions, such as Palm Island in Queensland, were popular tourist destinations in 1920s and 30s Australia, and music formed an essential part of tourist visits. For instance, many Queensland missions had their own Indigenous brass bands and colonial/settler tourists would listen to performances during their visits. The representations of these performances have much to tell us about the ways in which British colonial expansion was morally and emotionally justified, key to developing sentimental feelings towards imperialism. Aboriginal people were often regarded as being ‘saved’ or ‘civilised’ through music, an attitude that had a precursor in representations of working-class brass bands in northern England. However, the role of brass bands was complex: they also provided Aboriginal people with possibilities for agency, leadership and mobility.