Emporium and Music Shop

Tunes of old can be heard coming from the Settlement’s main street every day as volunteers bring to life the 19th Century Pianola.

It harks back to a time when pioneering settlers had to provide their own entertainment. Every boy and girl learnt a party piece for those ‘at home’ occasions. Many homes had a piano, or other musical instrument like the American Organs in the music shop. Family members would play the accordion, the melodeon or even the simple tin whistle.

Pianos and Pianolas, like the one at the Settlement, let anyone enjoy music. You just had to pump the machine. The Pianola roll, was a perforated paper roll that determined the tunes played.