The Reliance Music Roll Company, based in Auckland, New Zealand, operated from approximately 1921 to 1930>. Though short-lived, it holds a special place in New Zealand’s musical history for three key reasons:

• The first and only music roll company to operate in New Zealand.
• Issued rolls featuring Māori and other indigenous music.
• Likely produced some of the earliest recorded music made in New Zealand.

The company was operated by Reginald Albert Sharp (1896–1977) and Frederick Arthur Sharp (1900–1980), with financial support from their father, Albert Henry Sharp. The Sharp family emigrated from Worcestershire, England, in the early 1900s.

Both brothers worked as printers for the New Zealand Herald from July 1922, and ran the Reliance company from their home on Canal Road in Avondale, Auckland. Reginald, the elder brother, appears to have been the principal musical arranger.

Nearly two decades after the brothers’ deaths, I - along with two fellow collectors - acquired their roll perforating equipment, master rolls, and roll library.

This section of the site will continue to grow as I share more of my research into Reliance’s legacy. If you have any Reliance, Goldentone, or Celeste-Art rolls in your collection, please get in touch.

View Reliance 'Rollography' (work in progress)

38 Canal Road as it appeared in the 2010s.
Reliance rolls were produced here in the 1920s.

An example of one of the rolls of New Zealand
indigenous music issued by Reliance

Another variant of the Reliance label.

Reliance also issued rolls under the 'Goldentone' label
- an in-house brand for Lewis Eady & Sons.

One perforator we are certain Reliance used is the Leabarjan Style 8-D Electric Duplicator (pictured below).