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Australia, report 2002

Presented at IAML Conference, Berkeley, 2002

IAML Down under - the 2007 conference

The highlight of the year for the IAML (Australia) branch was the successful presentation of our bid at Perigueux, to host the 2007 International IAML conference. This will be the first time the conference has been held in Australia and our members are already starting to meet and plan. It is anticipated that the conference will be held at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, situated in the centre of Sydney near the Opera House and beautiful Botanic Gardens.

The 2002 Biennial Conference

The thirtieth birthday party of the IAML (Australia) branch will be a highlight of the national conference, to be held in September in Perth, Western Australia. The theme of the conference, “Ad Infinitum: Preserving Australia's musical culture” will include a key note address by one of Australia’s eminent musicologists Emeritus Professor David Tunley. Formal papers, a directions forum, the biennial general meeting, library tours and a privileged visit to the Benedictine Monastery Archives at New Norcia (established in the early nineteenth century) will keep members busy.

The Biennial General Meeting will take place at this conference. Constitutional changes are to be discussed and voted on and it is timely after 30 years of IAML (Australia) to update and ensure the constitution directs and reflects the activities of the group as it exists today.

Membership

Membership of the branch stands at 34 individual and 27 institutional members.

Publications:

The IAML (Australia) web page is regularly updated. It now includes the latest issue of the newsletter, Intermezzo, a membership form, and regular updates regarding conferences and activities. Paper copies of the newsletter Intermezzo are published quarterly and Volume 30 of the journal Continuo was published in 2001. The journal offers opportunities for longer articles and reports and is indexed in Music Index, Australian Education Index and APAIS.

Other highlights

Visit by Past-President: In September last year, Pam Thompson, our esteemed Immediate Past President, visited Australia and generously gave of her leisure time to meet with IAML colleagues in Sydney and Melbourne. She imparted her experiences of working with IAML (UK) and the many national and collegial initiatives that are under development in the UK.

Honour for founding member: Joyce McGrath, a founding member of IAML (Australia) received the honour of OAM: Order of Australia (Medal in the General Division) in the 2002 Australia Day Honours – ‘for service to the collection and preservation of historical documentation relating to art and music…’ Joyce’s contribution as one of the founding members of IAML (Australia Branch), the chairperson of the subcommittee of RidIM in Australia and her role in promoting the collection and preservation of music as Arts, Music and Performing Arts Librarian at the State Library of Victoria has been appropriately recognised by this worthy honour.

Member publications: Robyn Holmes has co-authored the book A collector's book of sheet music covers, with Ruth Lee-Martin, published by the National Library of Australia.
Georgina Binns was guest editor and contributed articles to a special issue of the Bibliographic Society of Australia and New Zealand Bulletin, on “Music publishing and selling in Australia”.

Georgina Binns,
President, IAML (Australia)