This research provides an account of the activities of the South Australian May Music Camp (SAMMC), identifying it as a significant extra-curricular activity in the calendar of music education opportunities open to children from nine to 23 years of age, between 1962 and 1986. This annual non-residential music camp took place during the two-week May school holidays. Students auditioned for SAMMC to engage in an intensive, graded music ensemble experience, receiving expert tuition from professional music educators, while being exposed to extensive orchestral, string and wind ensemble repertoire. The contribution of the National Music Camp Association in the establishment of state-based camps across Australia is acknowledged, specifically regarding SAMMC in Adelaide, and the subsequent formation of the South Australian Music Camp Association (SAMCA). This research notes the establishment of the South Australian Department of Education Music Branch, which resulted in an increased number of primary school students learning to play musical instruments, contributing to the need for further ensemble performance opportunities in South Australia. The research observes the actions of the SAMCA to evaluate and expand activities at SAMMC to accommodate these developments. This research provides evidence that SAMMC made an important contribution to South Australian music education history.