Sound and noise in Darlinghurst
Come and immerse yourself in the soundscape of Darlinghurst in the 1920s and 30s with historians Paula Hamilton and Lisa Murray, as they evoke localised sounds and trace how modern living and technology triggered complaints and new definitions of noise.
Sound is an elusive sense and it is often hard to imagine what the past sounded like, but it is an integral part of everyday life that deserves the attention of historians. Descriptions of Darlinghurst in the first half of the twentieth century regularly recounted the way this modern suburb sounded and, in many cases, assaulted not just the ears but all the senses. Kenneth Slessor, the well-known poet who lived in Darlinghurst for many years, summed it up in a short story in 1923:
‘If you ever ascend to Kings Cross, and pause there a moment, Darlinghurst will need no cicerone or guide book. You will smell Darlinghurst, you will see Darlinghurst, you will feel Darlinghurst, you will hear Darlinghurst, and you will taste Darlinghurst.’
Come and immerse yourself in the soundscape of Darlinghurst in the 1920s and 30s with historians Paula Hamilton and Lisa Murray. This talk draws upon their chapter recently published in My Darlinghurst (NewSouth Publishing, 2023).