11/10/2026
Many of you who follow Heirloom Pianos will be familiar with the way I work: providing tuning and servicing not only in Armidale, but across a range of cities, country towns and remote regions.
What you might not realise is just how traditional this approach is. Travelling between districts and returning regularly to look after their pianos has a rather long history—and this little advertisement is a wonderful example.
Published in the Armidale Express on 12 September 1863, it announces the forthcoming arrival of Mr Louis Voss, “Pianist and Pianoforte Tuner”, on his first professional tour of the district.
Already serving customers in Orange, Wellington and Dubbo, Voss intended to visit New England once or twice each year. Anyone wishing to engage his services was asked to write to him care of the Armidale post office. No online bookings or text reminders—just a newspaper announcement and a letter waiting for the tuner when he reached town!
The surviving records give us some fascinating glimpses of his career. Voss arrived in Melbourne aboard the Amazon in April 1853. Within weeks, he was advertising a grand German ball, complete with a continental band and German dancing. By the late 1850s, he was working in western Victoria, tuning pianos and performing as an accompanist.
His skills extended well beyond pianos. This Armidale advertisement offers repairs to harmoniums, musical boxes, concertinas and flutinas, alongside engagements to play for balls and private parties. Quite the versatile travelling musician.
And his connection with New England endured. Twenty years later, in September 1883, he advertised in Armidale again, explaining that illness had kept him away for several years. He was back to offer his services before continuing to Glen Innes and Tenterfield.
These advertisements paint a lovely picture of a working life built around travelling circuits: announcing a visit, gathering appointments, tending to the district’s instruments and moving on to the next town.
I find something rather special in that continuity. More than a century and a half later, I’m still travelling some of those same districts, doing the same essential work of keeping pianos playing.
Although I’m very grateful for air conditioning—and please don’t feel obliged to leave my correspondence at the Armidale post office! 🎹
Original advertisement via Trove:
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/188134456
