Darling Point Polka

It was said that Darling Point residents had manners and customs all their own and once in their circle no-one wanted to leave. Their social life revolved around families and entertainments such as parties, balls, dinners and concerts. Music was a popular nineteenth century form of entertainment, enjoyed in private homes and concert halls alike.

The Darling Point Polka was published in the Australian Musical Album for 1863 and would have been a feature at fashionable Darling Point parties. It was not uncommon for composers to give local place names to their works in traditional European genres in order to make the music more "Australian", such as the St Leonard's Schottische or the City of Sydney Polka. The delightful cover illustration for The Darling Point Polka was drawn by colonial artist Frederick C. Terry.