Hilda Tansey (1901 - 1975) - Australia's First Lady Conductor

Barbara Turner takes an affectionate personal look back at the remarkable career of Hilda Tansey (1901-1975), one of Australia's great brass pioneers.

'She was a cunning poker player, loved her budgie, had a great sense of humour and she was my aunt. She was also a fine player of brass instruments, conductor and teacher, and the first lady conductor of a brass band in Australia.'

Her talents are no surprise as she was the younger daughter of Tom Tansey, himself champion trombonist at the South Street  competitions at Ballarat for many years, and a bandmaster at Murtoa, Traralgon, Hay, Castlemaine and Beechworth. He began teaching Hilda when she was six years old and had to stand on a box to see the music on the music stand .

She gave her first public performance in 1909 in Murtoa, playing a cornet solo at a school concert - "Songs we sing at School", which had been especially arranged for her. Soon she was playing with the band, and then with the Traralgon Brass Band, where she became first collector, then Secretary at age 16. 
 
However she spent her adult life in Sydney and it is her musical life here in the 1930s and 1940s that I am trying to trace through a few newspaper cuttings and photos. 
 
The Sydney Ladies' Band was formed in the early 1930s but by April 1934 the band was practically insolvent with debts of 107 pounds for uniforms and instruments.
 
Hilda and ten other players took over the debt and formed a new organization, the Sydney Ladies' Brass Band, with Hilda as honorary conductor and teacher. She was working at Farmers at the time and hired a room at the bottom of George St near the Quay for practice at five shillings a week. Other women joined until they had 29 members.
 
With the exception of some bass instruments and drums, each girl bought her own instrument, and they made their first appearance in a grand pageant on Gala Day, November 22, 1934.
   
During their initial preparation and training period they raised 65 pounds through social functions, and by adding 35 pounds from engagements and the remainder from the members' contributions of one shilling per week, they had paid off the debt with which they started within four months of accepting engagements.
 
As a comment on their success, the Australasian Band and Orchestra News of July 26, 1935 says "Here is a practical illustration to many male bands of the saying "Never have your wishbone where your backbone ought to be"."
 
They were very busy ladies. In April 1938 they led a parade of Red Cross Nurses through the city for the laying of the foundation stone of the building in Jamieson St which was to become the home of the NSW Division of the Red Cross Society. They played at the official opening of the Velodrome at Canterbury in 1936 and appeared regularly at Mark Foy's on Friday nights, as well as playing on beautifully decorated floats during parades and at garden parties.

During the War years the band used to play for the troops at Liverpool and Ingleburn, and at the Showground. Unfortunately the R.S.L. refused to let the band march on Anzac Day in 1945, and this was a contributing factor to the members' decision to disband. 
 
While all this was taking place Hilda also had a ladies' band which played for dances at the Trocadero. A 1938 photo of this band, with their long dresses and hair styles so typical of the times, is the only record I have of this group, so I don't know when it was formed or how long it lasted.

The Trocadero Dance Band
 
In 1961 Hilda became an inaugural member of the Randwick District Brass Band. She was elected Honorary Treasurer and her husband, Ted Cafe, was Honorary Secretary. She spent the final 11 years of her playing life with them, including playing at the departure of the regular liners taking their travellers overseas.
 
Hilda's life illustrates the way of life in Australia this century - from playing in a band depleted of players by the events of World War I, to the place of music in public life in the 30s and 40s, large public dances, street parades, World War II and attitudes towards women, and the age of the big liners.
 
I have not been able to trace anyone else with connections to these women's bands, who might be able to provide further anecdotal or documentary evidence, but I live in hope. 

On what occasion was this delightful float used? 

Barbara Turner

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