Abstract
This chapter explores the development of jazz cultures in Queensland, Australia, in the twentieth century. As an area relatively isolated from other metropolitan sites known for producing Australian jazz, growing music communities in Queensland were challenged with low population densities, considerable geographical distances, and limited cultural infrastructure. This chapter demonstrates that despite these hurdles, jazz cultures thrived throughout the state owing to a do-it-yourself sensibility that continues to sustain jazz scenes in Queensland today. By making do with what and who was at hand, Queensland's jazz scenes were opened up by entrepreneurs, educators, and skilled instrumentalists working across genres, particularly after the end of World War II. With the heritage of jazz in Queensland largely overshadowed by developments in Sydney and Melbourne, particularly in published texts, this chapter draws on archival research and interviews with jazz musicians, venue owners, and audience members that help to illuminate a hidden history of Australian music.