Hammer Dulcimer

Gillian Alcock (1950-2018) was born in Western Australia, and after graduating from the University of Western Australia moved to Canberra in 1971. On meeting Terry McGee, Gillian developed an interest in folk music and musical instruments, making her first harpsichord from a kit in 1974.

The ANU School of Music is fortunate to include in its collection a Polygonal Virginal made by Alcock and McGee (1981, after an instrument by Marco Jadra from 1552).

The hammer dulcimer was donated to the collection by Lindsay Pratt and Karl Lindeson in 2023. Its date is presently not known but is provisionally given as c. 1980 for listing in our catalogue. It is typical of the dulcimers Alcock created using Australian timbers.