The story of Hindustani Music in Australia starts in 1880 with a collection of 90 musical instruments and several books on music sent from Kolkata (Calcutta) by Sourindro Mohun Tagore to the Melbourne International Exhibition of 1880-1881. The arrival of these musical artifacts occurred during the height of the era of English Imperialism and colonisation, They were curiosities tucked away in a corner of the exhibition, overshadowed by the British India Tea Stall. The International Exhibition was, amongst other things, a trade fare also an intended display of this power in the Antipodes. Nineteenth century gold rush rich Melbourne was connected with Kolkata (the imperial capital of India at that time) through networks of colonial administration, trade, building supplies and military power. Around the same time S M Tagore had sent some 40 similar collections around the world for which he willingly collected awards and titles. The Exhibition Catalogue (currently housed in the State Library of Victoria) provides us with a revealing overview of that event and its objectives.

After the exhibition, the collection was packed into crates and stored in the basement of the old Melbourne Museum for the next century. They were 'rediscovered' by John Guy (Asian Art Curator) in the mid-1980s at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and Dr. Reis Flora (Monash University) after they were relocated there. Over the years, many of the instruments 'disappeared,' and 45 of these original instruments remain.

These remaining instruments were 'permanently' loaned by the NGV to the Music Archives at Monash University, where they are currently stored but not displayed.

Since then, a legion of individuals, organizations, and institutions have continued to preserve, promote and build upon this story. The collective wishes to acknowledge the coloniality embedded in this story, but also keep memories of this historical event alive. The Collective fully recognises this highly problematic piece of imperial history for what it is and in response seeks to decolonise our historical imagination and understanding of archival material of the British imperialist ideology of the past.