'Good Old New Zealand' sheet music

Louis Benzoni's march 'Good Old New Zealand' was written in1914 and popularised by Doris Tindall, who sung it 'with tremendous success' at vaudeville venues around the country. It was also popular in parlours, so that the combined sales of recordings and sheet music totalled over 50,000.

A rousing call to arms
During the First World War, 'Good Old New Zealand' was also sung on the home front. Its lyrics were changed to suit wartime conditions, turning it into a rousing call to arms. In July 1916, for example, 100 pupils from the Greymouth District High School sung it in 'capital style' along with other patriotic numbers at a fund-raising concert.

Defending the Empire
This edition of the sheet music features a photograph of HMS New Zealand, a battlecruiser gifted to Britain's Royal Navy at a cost of more than £1.7 million to the New Zealand people. This enormous financial sacrifice was matched by the enlistment of New Zealand troops prepared to defend the Empire. 'Good Old New Zealand' is steeped in this imperial loyalty, especially its chorus:

Good Old New Zealand, 'Neath skies of blue;
Just tell Old England, We'll see her through;
Though foes oppress you, On ev'ry hand;
England, we'll help you, Our dear Homeland.