Historical information

Frederick "Fred" Fifield Hall was born in Carlton, Victoria in 1878. Son of Frederick Hall and Jessie Wallace Hall (nee Lloyd), Fred would marry Elsa May Daegner in 1899 with whom he had a son named Anthony. Hall died on 27th September 1956 in Mont Albert, Victoria and was buried at the Box Hill Cemetery. Hall was known as a solo pianist and the first conductor of the Station Orchestra at 3LO (ABC Radio Station). He was also a notable music editor at Allan & Co. Earning early recognition at 16 years of age when he conducted the Sydney Orchestra, Hall was a versatile composer having written in a variety of styles including solos for the piano, violin and cello, operas, foxtrots and orchestral suites. Publications indicate that between 300 and 400 of his compositions were published. The most famous of which was "Goodbye Melbourne Town" which he wrote with Lyricist Leonard Nelson. "Let Me Go to Bendigo" was another of their joint compositions.

Leonard Nelson Snell, professionally known as Leonard Nelson, was born c. 1874 in Melbourne and grew up in Kew (he was 76 in 1950). Nelson married Lily Maud Haight in Victoria in 1897 and had six children named Roy, Dorothy, Leonard, Lionel, Austin and Marie. Nelson died on the 13 August 1962 in Blackheath, NSW and was buried at the local cemetery. Nelson had a varied resume including Cattle station work, song writing and public speaking. Nelson was known for his enjoyment of Australian poetry having known many of the greats personally and could recite works from memory. In his later life, Nelson worked as an entertainer for hire at banquets and other social gatherings.

Physical description

No. 181 Allan's popular sixpenny edition
"Sung with great success by Leonard Nelson"
Allan & Co. Pty Ltd. Melbourne, Bendigo & Geelong
1 score

A B4 size document containing sheet music titled "Let Me Go to Bendigo". The document has a black and white cover with bold lettering and a cartoon of a man boarding the Bendigo Train. The music was written by Fred Hall and the lyrics were written and sung by Leonard Nelson who is pictured on the cover. The music covers 3 pages (1 double sided page and 1 single side) making up this 3-page document including the cover.

Inscriptions & markings

The front cover contains a handwritten name in the top right-hand corner "Mrs Sinclair"