Sound and noise in Darlinghurst

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 20th 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.' 

Paula Hamilton and Lisa Murray are researching the history of sound and noise in Sydney. Their first case study is Darlinghurst between the wars. Come and immerse yourself in the soundscape of Darlinghurst in the 1920s and 30s. Paula and Lisa will evoke the localised sounds, alongside more generalised sounds of the inner city, and trace how modern living and technology triggered complaints and new definitions of noise. This talk draws upon their chapter recently published in My Darlinghurst (NewSouth Publishing, 2023).

Paula Hamilton is adjunct Professor of History at the Australian Centre for Public History, University of Technology Sydney. She is a cultural and public historian who has published widely in oral history and memory studies.

Lisa Murray is a public historian and the former City Historian at the City of Sydney. She specialises in the social and urban history of Sydney.