Historical information

Five Australian Christmas Carols was written by John Wheeler and music by William G James. William James came from Ballarat and John Wheeler was from Colac. James was a concert pianist who graduated from the Melbourne Conservatorium. He went to London and played the Proms and wrote a series of Australian themed songs for Dame Nellie Melba. He became the first Federal director of Music for the ABC until 1957. It was at the ABC that he met Wheeler a staff writer who wrote verse and songs. These five carols which have a distinct Australian flavor, were written between 1848 and 1957.

Significance

While this collection has no direct link to Warrnambool, the works contained in the collection Five Australian Christmas Carols would have social significance as the carols would be familiar to a number of people. They remain some of the few carols with which Australians would identify as being typically Christmas time in Australia with the mention of weather and nature at that time of the year.

Physical description

1Five Australian Christmas Carols with words by John Wheeler and music by William G James contains five Australian carols, The Three drovers, The Silver stars are in the Sky, Christmas Day, Carol of the Birds, Christmas Bush For His Adorning. 12 Pages.

Inscriptions & markings

S Goldstraw handwritten on front cover.