The GhosTrain
project.is asking you to contribute to this exciting project that deals
with the fast disappearing memory of Sydney’s
recent industrial past. Sure buildings can be preserved (and used in new ways)
but they are only mute reminders of what has been lost or destroyed, the
working lives, the aspirations and the political struggles that are so easily
discounted by the developers’ magic wand!
GhosTrain is looking for community contributions that can
weave personal stories of Eveleigh. You, or your family are invited to upload
your stories, your images and your writings.
Share your Audio Recordings and Oral histories in Pool via
the audio upload page here.
When you upload material, mark it with the tag ‘GhosTrain’ so everyone can find it.
If you’re not a member of Pool it is easy to join; you’ll
need to register here and of
course it’s free!
See all Pool contributions tagged GhosTrain here.
And as a last resort, if you have difficulty accessing the
internet, or want to make a recording but do not have the gear give Nigel a
call on 04 19 49 34 95 or email sonic@sonicobjects.com
GhosTrain; More sound ideas!
The Eveleigh site is impressive on a number of levels; its
robust industrial architecture, the simple but effective re-purposing of the
site as a cultural space; set against the lingering knowledge that this was a
site of labour ~ of specialised knowledge and skill and of a lifestyle all but
forgotten in Sydney’s upwardly mobile affluent society well that’s a nice way
of putting it!
When we consider changing socio-economic landscape of our
city we naturally focus our attention upon the more obvious physical features
of the shifting usage of architectural structures and major environmental
infrastructures.
In a marked contrast, it is the transient elements, that are
the soul of living cultures but these are difficult to seize upon and tend to
be quickly forgotten; erased under changing patterns of work and social usage.
The iconic sounds that characterise a locale are one of the most fragile and difficult
of these transient elements to recognise, evaluate and value, yet they hold the
key to memory.
The acoustic ecologies of industrial landscapes are prime
examples of our extraordinary collective capacity for amnesia. Closely
observed, every location has a characteristic soundscape in effect a sonic
fingerprint, formed from a complex mix of smaller incidental sounds, punctuated
by unique, keynote sounds that are site-specific and directly associated with
the particular structures and activities found at the location. Good examples
of the iconic nature of keynote sounds are the Imman’s call to prayer in Istanbul or the Fog-horns of San Francisco.
The discipline of Acoustic Ecology recognises that
contemporary trends driven by Globalisation, the ubiquitous spread of urbanism,
mechanised transport and forms of labour result in a homogenisation of world
soundscapes, reducing both the variety, character and uniqueness of local
acoustic ecologies.
In a modest way GhosTrain seeks to redress such oversight by
addressing the unique architectural heritage and social history of the Redfern
Locomotive & Eveliegh Carriage Works sites from a sonic perspective ~
recognising the importance of the soundscape that once characterised the site
and endeavouring to re-instate specific elements of its acoustic ecology and
the memories contained within oral history.
Source: www.pool.org.au/text/ghostrain/the_ghostrain_project