Tracing Eugene Goossens: Goossensiana in the National Library of Australia

Abstract

The ‘Eugene Goossens Collection’ (EGC), consisting of approximately 220 music scores, was acquired by the National Library of Australia (NLA) in 2009 from the ‘Symphony Australia Collection.’ The ‘Goossens Collection’ (GC) was purchased from Eugene Goossens III (1893–1962) in 1956 and consists of around 100 items that were housed in the ABC Federal Music Library. This GC forms a part of the larger EGC, and its position within the larger collection is the subject of this paper. The GC appears to have been amalgamated with other material prior to its acquisition by the NLA, with the larger collection (EGC) nevertheless retaining the conductor’s name as an overall descriptor. As well as investigating issues of provenance that have emerged in relation to the EGC, this paper explores wider questions pertaining to the fate of Goossens’ papers, composition manuscripts, and print scores. Potential points of entry for further exploring and clarifying the Collection (EGC) will be proposed, the catalogue of which can be found on the NLA website.