It is with sadness that we share news of the recent death of Prue Neidorf, long-time IAML member and founding Music Librarian at the National Library of Australia (NLA). She died surrounded by her family in Canberra on 18 January 2023.
Prue will be remembered as a committed, passionate music librarian who helped to create the extensive music-related score, sound, book, and periodical collections held at the NLA. Prue joined the NLA in 1973 as founding Music Librarian and helped establish the Music and Sound Recording Section.
Prue completed a Bachelor of Music, majoring in oboe under Jiri Tancibudek, at the University of Melbourne, then undertook overseas travel before returning to Australia to bring up her family. Prue completed a Diploma of Librarianship at the University of New South Wales. She had worked in science, architecture, and engineering libraries in London, Sydney and Canberra prior to taking the role at NLA, and relished the opportunity to combine her music and library expertise to shape the new Music Library at the NLA.
Her work focussed on collection building and supporting the National Union Catalogue of Music – Interlibrary Loan co-ordination through a central card catalogue (eventually part of the Australian Bibliographic Network and Trove). She built comprehensive collections of foreign and Australian music through close connections with composers, collectors and dealers including John Antill, Everett Helm, Kenneth Hince, and Ken Snell. These collections form the body of a rich and significant national collection of music that continues to be used by researchers and performers both in Australia and overseas. They formed the basis of the forward-looking Music Australia digitised resource that was developed in the 2000s (now a part of the Trove).
During her time at the NLA, Prue became very active in the burgeoning arts library and documentation professional bodies. She was an active member of the International Association of Music Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML) Australian and New Zealand Branch (which later become separate branches). She was a long-standing member of the National Executive and President 1979–88, and for many decades the ACT Representative. Prue was made an Honorary IAML (Australia) Member for her contribution to music librarianship in Australia. She assisted in the establishment of the International Association of Sound Archives (IASA), Australian Branch, in 1979, and later the Australasian Sound Recording Association. She was a founding Board Member of the Australian Music Centre from 1974–80. She was also involved in the Australian Music Council, Australian Society for Music Education and the Musicology Association of Australia. She represented Australia at many IAML and IASA International conferences over the years.
Prue inspired many young librarians interested in music and sound to become actively involved in the profession through supporting industry placements, work experience, and encouragement to the many staff who passed through the Music and Sound Recording Section at the NLA. Many of these librarians have taken up positions around the country in state, university, and other music/sound libraries and archives, continuing to provide expert services as cataloguers, information/reference librarians, researchers, and managers.
Prue retired in 1993 and enjoyed involvement in the Four Winds Festival at Birregurra and other music and nature-based activities. She continued her research interests and completed a Masters of Arts in 1999 at the University of Wollongong, completing her thesis A guide to dating music published in Sydney and Melbourne, 1800-1899, based on her wealth of knowledge in working with colonial-era sheet music in the NLA Collections.
We remember Prue for her contribution to music collections and documentation in Australia and her leadership over many years in our profession. We thank her for her kindness, generosity, mentorship and keen interest in the work of colleagues. IAML offers its sincere condolences to Prue’s family at this sad time.
Prue’s funeral will be held Monday February 6th, at 3pm. Norwood Park Chapel, 65 Sandford St, Mitchell ACT. (Canberra).
Georgina Binns
Prue Neidorf (middle), with former colleagues from the Music Section, National Library of Ausralia, Georgina Binns (left) and Laurel Dingle (right).