A clean-up at a resort in northern Western Australia has ended on a sour note when a baby grand piano was mistakenly turfed at a rubbish tip.

Fortunately the historic Steinway & Sons piano previously owned by Lord Alistair McAlpine, an advisor to former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was saved from destruction by an eagled-eyed local musician.

Steinway pianos cost up to $80,000 new and $20,000 second-hand.

Musician Wil Thomas said he was "shocked and stupefied" when he took his garden waste to the dump on Sunday and found 16-year-old Tui Warihana playing the baby grand piano.

Mr Thomas said the Steinway baby grand piano sounded in perfect tune.

"This beautiful sound was coming out this beautiful piano in the tropical hell of the Broome tip," he said.

"I expected to hear this tinkling sound of a broken piano.

"This young guy was playing Moonlight Sonata on this piano, which just sounded heavenly."

Who said that Fossicking was a waste of time ???

K.J.