I have recently discovered some great resources for the mandolin in Australia.
Federation of Australasian Mandolin Ensembles
On the website of the Federation of Australasian Mandolin Ensembles you can find information about the mandolin orchestras in Australia.
Most interesting is the FAME newsletter “Plucked Strings” which is published quartely. All the newsletters beginning with the June 2008 edition are availbale as PDF files for download.In those newsletters you can find reports about mandolin orchestras, important events and concerts, but also an interesting article series by Keith Harris about the fingering on the mandolin.
Divertimento for Two Mandolins and Guitar – Robert Schulz
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/marissamando
Italian Mandolins from catalog “A.P. Sykes : importer of all kinds of musical instruments”
National Library of Australia – Sheet Music for Mandolin
List of available sheetmusic and other documents relating the mandolin:
The National Library of Australia has a digital archive that contains sheet music for the mandolin and the banjo from the beginning of the 20th century. This collection does also contain two volumes of an early Australian mandolin method, Arkins Correspondence Lesson for the Mandolin.
The complete 5 volumes of this method are available in the Library, but only Part 2 and 3 have been digitised. I have just bought part 4 which contains special instructions for learning the tremolo.
I have also found some interesting photographs of a music store and of folk musicians:
Nicholson and Company music store, 342 George Street, Sydney, ca. 1905 [picture].
http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-151242010/view
Meredith, John, 1920-2001.
Real Folk portrait photographs, 1953-1992 [picture]
1953-1992. 254 photographs : gelatin silver, cibachrome ; 18.8 x 23.8 cm.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6300397?q=Meredith%2C+John&c=picture&versionId=7276794
Group portrait of a mandolin and guitar orchestra at the internment camp at Holsworthy, New South Wales, 1918 / Carl Schiesser
https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-153412170/view
Very interesting is a catalog of musical instrumets:
A.P. Sykes : importer of all kinds of musical instruments : illustrated catalogue of zither & ordinary banjos, tenor banjos, banjolins, banjo-mandolins, flatback mandolins, Italian mandolins, ukuleles, ukulele-banjos, guitars, Jap fiddles and all the fittings, appliances, attachments, etc. used in connection with the above instruments
http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-vn1084568
Italian Mandolins from catalog “A.P. Sykes : importer of all kinds of musical instruments”
I will collect more interesting links from Australia in my link collection:
My link collection Australia: http://pinboard.in/u:mandoisland/t:Australien/