The Piano
When we wakened in the morning a sheet of water confronted us, and in a matter of ten minutes the house was surrounded by a sweeping flood.[1] Ours is a mud-brick house … and of course as soon as wet through would collapse. My husband went off on horseback for help, leaving me with instructions to leave the house when the water reached the foundations. We had a friend and her two children holidaying with us at the time and after packing my precious piano round with blankets, and hauling several bags of bran and pollard to the two doors to delay the water entering even for a few minutes, we set off to the dam bank, wading through the icy water, which was up to the calves of our legs. The stretch of water was quarter of a mile wide at least.[2]
Gwen and Syd Maughan married on 13
April 1935 and took up residence on a farm near Nukarni in the eastern
wheatbelt region of Western Australia. The mud brick house, built by Syd, had two
rooms and a hallway that ran along the eastern side of the house. The front
room was Syd and Gwen’s bedroom while the back room served as the kitchen,
dining and lounge room all in one. The furniture was mostly wooden packing
crates made pretty with chintz and doilies embroidered with Gwen’s fine
needlework. Meals were cooked on a wood stove and eaten by candle-light and
kerosene lanterns. After the evening chores were done Syd would put on his
slippers, stoke up the fire and take a seat next to Gwen who was already
playing the most beautiful object in their modest home - The Piano. Forty
years later living in the town of Merredin Gwen still played The Piano
each evening while Syd did the dishes.
The Piano was made by the G Schwechten company. Founded in 1853 by Georg
Schwechten who was reputed to be one of the great Berlin piano makers from the
second half of the 19th century.[3] The inscription inside
translates to G. Schwechten, Piano Manufacturer 1853
to the Court of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim Albrecht of Prussia Berlin
S.W. Koch-Str. 60-61-62. Joachim Albrecht,
the Prince of Prussia, was notable for composing music.[4] Also inside is the
serial number 36036 which indicates that the piano was made in 1907.[5]
The early 20th century was
the heyday of piano manufacturing. Worldwide production of pianos reached its
peak of 600,000 instruments per year in 1910 (up from 43,000 in 1850). This
explosion in piano manufacturing came about because pianos were a ‘status
symbol of the bourgeoisie’ and the growing middle class created a huge demand
for lower-priced pianos. During the early part of the 20th century
Germany was a leading global exporter with 50% of all German-built pianos
destined for export. England was importing German pianos in extraordinary numbers.[6] What happened to The Piano directly after its manufacture in 1907
is not known – it may have stayed in Germany, it may have been shipped directly
to Australia but the most likely scenario is that it was shipped to England.
At some point between 1907 and 1935 The
Piano made the long journey by ship from Europe to Australia where it was
offered for sale by Nicholsons Limited Piano Department.[7] Gwen’s father RW Jones may have seen Nicholsons Ltd advertisement as he bought
the Schwechten piano and gave it to Gwen and Syd as a wedding present. Syd’s
mother in northern England was delighted with the gift: And to have a piano
as a wedding gift!!! It almost seems a necessity for music lovers like you
& me. May it bring you all the joy & happiness that mine was ever been
to me and think of the pleasure can give to others.[8]
Gwen learnt to play piano as a child
growing up in the Western Australian goldfields where music was an extremely
important part of life. Pianos in private homes were very popular and it was
fashionable for children to learn to play.[9] Gwen’s Mother encouraged her only daughter to excel in her piano lessons
and she gave her a beautiful music book. The inscription inside reads To
Gwendoline Lillias Jones from Mother. 92 marks 1st music exam, 27th
July 1912. Lane St Boulder City, WA.[10] The music book is a significant item as in October the following year
Gwen’s mother passed away. Devastated by the death of her Mother, Gwen threw
herself into her piano lessons. Gwen was an accomplished pianist and she played
almost all her life. When she entered the nursing home in her octogenarian
years she still played The Piano which at that point was in her son’s
home, just a few meters from her home.
Gwen left The Piano to her daughter Marian who gifted it to me, Gwen’s grand-daughter. For a number of years it was loaned to family friends for their children to learn to play on. It lived at my sister’s house for awhile and her children played it. These days The Piano takes pride of place in my lounge room and while rarely played it is admired by all who visit. The Piano is a constant reminder too of my Nanna and Grandad who played a significant part in shaping me as a person. When the time is right The Piano will go to Gwen’s great grand-daughter Alexandra.
[1] Diary entry 9 May 1939, Diary
of Kirkhaugh Farm, original held by Catherine Maughan, Perth, WA
[2] Speech
c1950s, Gwen Maughan
Collection of Unpublished Documents, original held by Catherine Maughan, Perth,
WA
[3] Memim Encyclopedia ‘G Schwechten’ https://memim.com/g.-schwechten.html, accessed 10 November 2020
[4]
Tobias Broeker ‘Prince Joachim
Albrecht of Prussia’, www.tobias-broeker.de/rare-manuscripts/m-r/prince-joachim/, accessed 10 November 2020
[5] Bob Pierce, Pierce Piano Atlas
6th edn, Bob Pierce Publisher, California, 1965
[6] Sonja Petersen, ‘Piano manufacturing
between craft and industry: Advertising and image cultivation of early 20th
century German piano production’, Journal of the International Committee for
the History of Technology, vol 17, 2011, p. 15
[7] ‘Advertising’, West Australian, 7
March 1935, p. 3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article32835526
[8] Elizabeth
Maughan to Syd and Gwen Maughan, letter, 19 June 1935, Gwen Maughan Collection of Unpublished
Documents
[9] Jean
Farrant, A Social History
of Music in Coolgardie, Kalgoorlie and Boulder 1892-1908, PhD Thesis,
University of Western Australia, 1992, p 181
[10] Anon,
The Globe Song Folio, Bayley & Ferguson, London,
1911
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