Mary Brett

Mary Brett (Mary Osborne) was born in Invercargill to musician parents who actively encouraged her love of music. Her mother taught singing, and her father played piano, viola and cello. He was also an instrument repairer. Mary composed from an early age. She moved from Invercargill to Dunedin to further her piano studies. She married, had a son, and the family moved to Sydney where she was in demand as a pianist. At the outbreak of World War Two the family moved to Auckland, where she continued her career as an accompanist and teacher.

Horses of the Dawn was her first published song. There are two other known published songs from the 1930s.