At the Opening Ball of the new Canungra School of Arts building on July 7, 1856 it was felt necessary to have two orchestras in attendance so that the dancing would be continuous.
One of these comprised Charlie Taylor on piano, Bill Pidd on the fiddle and Harvey Mahoney on the accordion.
It is believed that Charles William Taylor was born in the district on December 1, 1899, as his father William Taylor was residing in Canungra when he married Ada Ann (Annie) Blunt of Beaudesert the previous year.
In the early years it was Will Taylor, working by day at Laheys Sawmill, who played the piano at the local dances but by 1917 young Charlie was often playing at these events.
On June 27, 1927, Charles married Myrtle Stringfellow, daughter of Arthur Stringfellow, one of the firemen for the locomotives operating on the logging tramway.
Charlie and Myrtle went on to have five children.
As the years went by the Chas Taylor Orchestra became quite highly regarded and was often the first choice of entertainment for organisers of the dances held in Kerry, Beaudesert, Veresdale, Tamborine, Canungra and all places in between.
Charlie was also one of the first organists for the Canungra Anglican Church.
Charlie’s granddaughter Cheryl fondly remembers listening to her grandfather playing the piano in the front room of his house.
“It was what he loved doing best!”, she recalls.
Charlie’s beloved piano is still with the family.
Sadly, Charlie passed away in 1967 at the young age of 66, and he is buried in Canungra Cemetery.
His descendants still reside in the district to this day.
