Varney Monk (born Isabel Varney Desmond Peterson; 18 January 1892 – 7 February 1967) was an Australian pianist and composer, best known for writing the musicals ''

Collits' Inn Collits' Inn is a heritage-listed former inn and now functions, accommodation and restaurant at Hartley Vale Road, Hartley Vale, City of Lithgow, New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Pierce Collits and built in 1823. It is also known ...

'' (1932) and '' The Cedar Tree'' (1934). ''Collits' Inn'' was described by the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' as "an Australian opera". From families of Scottish heritage and musical ability, her father was a solicitor. Soon after her birth in

Bacchus Marsh Bacchus Marsh (Wathawurrung: ''Pullerbopulloke'') is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately north west of the state capital Melbourne and west of Melton, Victoria, Melton at a near equidistance to th ...

, the family moved to Tasmania. Monk's mother died when Monk was eleven, and her father died in 1929. During her career she wrote over 150 songs. Her first song was published at age thirteen, and by 1934, Monk had won the best song in an Australian Radio Competition with 'Some distant day', and the 1933 Broken Hill Jubilee Song Competition. Using Australian poems as inspiration, she set to music three pieces of verse by Adam Lindsay Gordon (1833–1870), eight by Henry Kendall (1839–1882), two by

Will H. Ogilvie Will H. Ogilvie (21 August 1869 – 30 January 1963) was a Scottish-Australian narrative poet and horseman, jackaroo, and drover, and described as a quiet-spoken handsome Scot of medium height, with a fair moustache and red complexion. He ...

(1869–1963), and others by Miles Franklin (1879–1954) and Henry Lawson (1867–1922). She was the wife of Australian violinist

Cyril Monk Cyril Monk Cyril Farnsworth Monk (9 March 1882 – 7 March 1970) was an Australian violinist and academic. His wife was the pianist and composer Varney Monk. Life Monk was born in Surry Hills, Sydney in 1882, son of James Monk, a grocer, and wi ...

, whom she married in 1913. She had one son and one daughter, and lived in Mosman, Sydney in later life.

References

External links

Papers of Varney Monk
at National Library of Australia
Article on the making of ''Collits' Inn''Varney Monk
at Trove
Varney Monk
at Ausstage {{DEFAULTSORT:Monk, Varney 1892 births 1967 deaths 20th-century Australian musicians 20th-century composers Australian composers Australian women composers Australian musical theatre composers Australian musical theatre lyricists Australian women songwriters 19th-century Australian women 20th-century Australian women musicians 20th-century women composers