''The Magic Gum Tree'' is a musical comedy written in 1932. The score and lyrics are the singular work of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

pianist and

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Arline Sauer in 1932. Sauer, born Arline Estelle Lower, married her longtime mentor, the well known Sydney conductor, arranger and composer Charles Sauer in May 1924, had twin sons 1925, divorced 1947. The piece is a work of

Australiana Australiana includes the items, people, places, flora, fauna and events of Australian origins. Anything pertaining to Australian culture, society, geography and ecology can fall under the term Australiana, especially if it is endemic to Austra ...

featuring Australian animals and characters. Queensland reviewers felt it reminiscent of A. A. Milne, with pleasantly conceived music for solo and parts.

Synopsis

The plot involves an immigrant girl lost in the Australian outback. The girl falls asleep and meets a cast of dreamland characters. She is rescued by a group of ten Australian Aboriginal boys and returned safely home.

Musical numbers

*Overture *Ten Little Aboriginals *Gumnut Pixies (dance) *Dear Little Wattle Blossom *Ko-a-la *Hail! Thou Fair Land (duet) *Ten Little Aboriginals (Finale) The complete original published words and music (piano, voices) and dialogue may be viewe
here

Performances

*1934 Railway Institute, Sydney *1935 Melbourne *1935 Clermont, New South Wales *1935 Newcastle, New South Wales *1935 Lismore, New South Wales *1935 Parkside, South Australia *1936 Wayville, South Australia (selections) *1937 Trangie, New South Wales *1937 St George, Queensland *1937 Coffs Harbour *1937 Armidale, New South Wales *1938 Bundarra, New South Wales *1938 Maitland, New South Wales *1939 Hobart, Tasmania *1939 Canberra, ACT *1940 Wellington, New South Wales *1940 Carnarvon, Western Australia *1941 Cairns, Queensland *1941 Mount Barker, South Australia *1941 Newcastle, New South Wales *1942 Manilla, New South Wales *1942 Mudgee, New South Wales *1942 Rockhampton, New South Wales *1946 Burnie, Tasmania *1947 Forbes, New South Wales *1950 Pinnaroo, South Australia {{cite web , url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197625678 , title=Schoclconcert , newspaper=Pinnaroo and Border Times , date=21 December 1950

References

Australian musicals 1932 in Australia 1932 musicals Australian literature Australian plays 20th-century Australian literature Indigenous Australian theatre Musicals set in Australia Stage plays about Aboriginal Australians 1930s Australian musicals