An introduction to Norfolk Island and it’s unique musical tapestry

Where is Norfolk Island exactly?

Geographically, Norfolk Island is a small isle surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean. Nestled between New Zealand, Australia & New Caledonia, the island is situated upon the Norfolk ridge which stretches northwards from the top tip of New Zealand. 

It is beautiful, our island home…  a petite 5km x 8km in diameter with a total land area of 3,455 hectares. Of this land, more than 1,000 hectares are National Parks and Reserves.

We also have two other tiny islands in the Norfolk group – Nepean and Phillip – both of which are bird sanctuaries.

The geographic island itself, has its own in a timeline, of events which took place chronologically from early discoveries and various previous settlements that were established and then completely abandoned… up until the Pitcairner community arrived.
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There is a specific date from which our podcast series is anchored:  8 June 1856.

This date is important as it commemorates the arrival of a community of one hundred and ninety four people onto the island, having journeyed by sea a distance of 3,700 miles from remote Pitcairn Island.

These are our descendants of Norfolk Islanders, today.
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What does it mean to share the ‘sound heritage’ of a place?

Sound heritage collections encompasses a wide array of audio materials:  including spoken word recordings, radio broadcasts, environmental soundscapes, oral histories  as well as music and performance recordings. 

Sound heritage is not merely a group of audio files; it is a vital collection of memories, knowledge, and cultural identity. 

The importance of sound heritage preservation lies in its ability to connect us to our collective memory. Sound recordings capture moments in time, preserving voices, music, and events that would otherwise be lost. 
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Untold Norfolk Island Travel Podcast Series - Sponsored by Baunti Tours www.bauntitours.com

Transcript

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Untold Norfolk Island podcast series.

My name is Jodie Williams.

As some background information to me, your podcast host,… I was born on Norfolk Island and I am a seventh generation descendant of the Pitcairners who arrived here in 1856.

In 2013 I had the honour being awarded a Churchill Fellowship which involved travel to the United Kingdom to explore a thread of my own sound heritage ancestry.

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The sound recordings I will be sharing with you in these upcoming podcast episodes are deeply connected to specific traditions and practices of the Norfolk Islanders.

It is with immense gratitude to those in my community who have shared their personal audio collections with me, so that I am now able  to collectively with sensitivity, share them with you.

These audios will be blended with citations from many historians and researchers who have my respect and appreciation for their work documenting our traditions and way of life.

For me, sound recordings serve as irreplaceable primary resources, preserving moments, events, and cultural expressions that might otherwise be lost to time.

Through recorded interviews with locals, archival audio recordings, and commentaries inclusive of translations from the Norf’k language into English, my aim is to shine a light on our island's sonic heritage and the crucial work of sound preservation.

I hope that as you listen to the upcoming episodes, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the way in which our Norfolk traditions are deeply intertwined with intangible cultural heritage.

Intangible cultural heritage is not like a physical object, but rather something passed down through generations, often through oral history, community celebrations and annual events.

Sound heritage contributes to the living legacy of a place and its people.

Throughout these upcoming episodes, and my role as a sound artist and researcher, I am so looking forward to sharing with you a deeper layer of exploration and engagement within my audio collection of our Norfolk Island Sound heritage.

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Let’s begin by setting into place, a foundation…

Where is Norfolk Island exactly?

And what does it mean to share the ‘sound heritage’ of a place?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.

Geographically, Norfolk Island is a small isle surrounded by the South Pacific Ocean. Nestled between New Zealand, Australia & New Caledonia, the island is situated upon the Norfolk ridge which stretches northwards from the top tip of New Zealand. 

It is beautiful, our island home…  a petite 5km x 8km in diameter with a total land area of 3,455 hectares. Of this land, more than 1,000 hectares are National Parks and Reserves.

We also have two other tiny islands in the Norfolk group – Nepean and Phillip – both of which are bird sanctuaries.

The geographic island itself, has its own in a timeline, of events which took place chronologically from early discoveries and various previous settlements that were established and then completely abandoned… up until the Pitcairner community arrived.
____________


There is a specific date from which our podcast series is anchored:  8 June 1856.

This date is important as it commemorates the arrival of a community of one hundred and ninety four people onto the island, having journeyed by sea a distance of 3,700 miles from remote Pitcairn Island.

These are our descendants of Norfolk Islanders, today.

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And from this date, so began a settling-in time to establish a new homeland for the islanders.

Self-sufficiency was the only means of survival as supply ships visited rarely. Together, this small community cleared land, built homes, tended livestock, fished, farmed and pioneered cottage industries.

The singing of hymns (some of which were composed by the very early settlers) was a constant reminder of their past and eased the burden of their present as well as becoming an expression of the community’s identity.

Hymn singing on the island formed the same role here that traditional folk songs did elsewhere in the world.     

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Now let’s touch upon what does it mean to share the ‘sound heritage’ of a place?

Sound heritage collections encompasses a wide array of audio materials:  including spoken word recordings, radio broadcasts, environmental soundscapes, oral histories  as well as music and performance recordings.

Sound heritage is not merely a group of audio files; it is a vital collection of memories, knowledge, and cultural identity.

The importance of sound heritage preservation lies in its ability to connect us to our collective memory. Sound recordings capture moments in time, preserving voices, music, and events that would otherwise be lost.

Through these recordings, we can hear the echoes of our history, understand more deeply the cultural context and appreciate the evolution of language, music, and artistic expression.

Sound recordings serve as vital research tools about a place and a people, for historians, musicologists, linguists, and other scholars. By studying these recordings, researchers can gain insights into social, political, and cultural trends of the past. It is a way to analyze language patterns, identify musical influences, and document the evolution of musical styles.

Listening to recordings from the past can evoke emotions, stimulate creativity, and provide a window into different cultures and ways of life.

The preservation of sound heritage ensures that these valuable resources remain accessible for future generations, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of our shared legacy.

Sound heritage, therefore, plays a crucial role in our understanding of human history and cultural development, in places all over the world.
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For us on the island, sound heritage includes audio recordings of :

> oral histories & conversations in our own Norf’k language
> radio broadcasts some as early as 1948 with Radio NZ
> environmental soundscapes
> and music recordings;  hymn singing as well as singalongs and band nights.

SAMPLE AUDIO SNIPPETS COMPILATION

By tuning in to these episodes and listening to snippets from my collection, weaves together an aural tapestry. helping you to understand a little more about our customs, traditions, and activities here on the island.

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There is a quote from Pico Iyer:

“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves,
and we travel, next, to find ourselves.
We travel to open our hearts and
eyes. And we travel, in essence, to
become young fools again — to slow
time down and get taken in, and
fall in love once more.”


Often it’s the yearning to lose ourselves, that prompts the planning a holiday to somewhere new.

We seek to find travelling to places to slow down, to reconnect, find some more of that ‘illusive’ time.
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Travel to Norfolk Island is so much more than just booking a ticket online and turning up at the airport.

It’s about being knowledgeable so you can thoroughly enjoy the many different experiences that a Norfolk Island holiday can offer ~

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One of the most enriching aspects of travel is the opportunity to immerse oneself in the authentic sounds of a destination.

Exploring local music traditions offers a unique window into the cultural heritage and soul of a place. Each travel destination often has its own unique musical tapestry.

And… it’s not just exploring music traditions, but also immersing yourself in the everyday sounds of a holiday destination. Each of these sounds tells a story, reflecting the rhythm of daily life in that particular place.

Listen to the laughter as you wander past a group of locals often conversing in the Norf’k language, the back & forth banter between your tour guides and locals, as well as the natural island soundscape sounds… the ocean waves pounding against the basalt rocky shores, the forest birds melodiously singing as you meander our forest trails, and the majestic calls of the migratory seabirds as they circle clifftops all around our island.

There is so much to explore and these everyday sounds paint a vivid sonic portrait of the place and its people.

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We do appreciate that our world is so busy, so any time out that you take out, is precious time.

We invite you to plan a holiday to Norfolk Island, find that time to relax, the time to re-connect, the time to experience, time to ‘just be’.

And perhaps in doing so, you may fall in love with life itself, all over again…

Welcome to our weekly episodes of the Untold Norfolk Island podcast series!

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SPONSOR:

Explore Norfolk Island with Baunti Tours!

The team at Baunti would be happy to assist with your travel plans so that you can experience the very best of our island home.

We invite you to listen to this Untold Norfolk Island travel podcast series - and we hope that it sparks your curiosity and intrigue about this beautiful place we are so privileged to call ‘home’.

Hope to hear from you soon!

www.bauntitours.com