Bullet holes in a harmonium / myLot

Rockingham, Australia

August 14, 2025 12:21am CST

Another instrument that I photographed at New Norcia was this harmonium. The information board said that it was donated to the Kalumburu Mission by a grateful German government. In 1932, two German airmen crashed near there. The Mission is some 135 kms north-west of Wyndham which is 2,212.17 km (1,374.58 miles) from Perth. The monks and aborigines from the mission had rescued the pair and looked after them. In 1943, during World War II, the mission came under attack from Japanese fighter planes and several people were killed. You can see one of the bullet holes in the upper left of the harmonium cabinet. There is another hole in the side.

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9 responses

Always smiling

@allknowing (151708)

• India

14 Aug

Wonder if the harmonium is working despite those holes

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Always smiling

@allknowing (151708)

• India

15 Aug

@JudyEv Wonder if it is in use now!!

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Aug

@allknowing It wouldn't be used now. It's part of the museum collection.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Aug

It didn't say that the bullets have ruined the mechanism so it probably does.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (481739)

• Italy

14 Aug

I suppose the instrument still works despite the holes. It was a nice gesture to donate it.

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Anna

@LadyDuck (481739)

• Italy

14 Aug

@JudyEv This is true, may be one day they will decide to fix those holes.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Aug

@LadyDuck It's probably a better tourist gimmick to leave them there.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Aug

The monks at the time were also at Kalumburu. It's nice it now has a permanent home.

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Heather Echola

@GardenGerty (165366)

• United States

14 Aug

War makes for interesting experiences, some of them deadly, of course. The harmonium has an interesting history. It is those kinds of artifacts that bring history to life.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Aug

I probably wouldn't have taken the photo if not for the back story. I have other photos of harmoniums.

Kareng

@kareng (78682)

• United States

14 Aug

That is interesting! Is it like an organ? Clueless here!!

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Aug

Yes, like a small organ. You use your feet to pump the pedal and this supplies the air for the mechanism.

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Kareng

@kareng (78682)

• United States

20h

@JudyEv That is what I was thinking. I have never heard the term harmonium before!

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

@kareng Many old churches would have had them in the olden days.

@DaddyEvil (156681)

• United States

14 Aug

That was nice of the German government to donate the harmonium.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Aug

It was indeed. And later we were at war with them but it was the Japanese that bombed us.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Aug

@DaddyEvil Nobody really wins in a war, do they?

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@DaddyEvil (156681)

• United States

14 Aug

@JudyEv Nope... All we can do is hope war doesn't happen again.

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LindaOH

@LindaOHio (197924)

• United States

14 Aug

That's a cool looking instrument.

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

14 Aug

It's had quite an exciting life for a harmonium.

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LindaOH

@LindaOHio (197924)

• United States

15 Aug

@JudyEv Yes, it certainly did.

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BarBaraPrz

@BarBaraPrz (50252)

• St. Catharines, Ontario

14 Aug

Looks more like a shotgun blast, and it also looks as if it was once hidden under some sort of card (matching one in the other corner is gone, too).

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Judy Evans

@JudyEv (360931)

• Rockingham, Australia

15 Aug

I hadn't noticed that but you're right. Most old pianos are missing the candle-holders but then you just have the screw marks visible. I can't imagine what the squares were for.

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