The project ran from 2015-2018 and was a collaboration with linguist Felicity Meakins, musicologist Myfany Turpin, and photographer Brenda L Croft. It uncovered the longest songline in Australia, called Laka at Kalkaringi but Wanji-wanji more widely. It extends from northern Australia to the coast of Western Australia. Some of this work is described in a half hour documentary. The documentary was broadcast on NITV (SBS, 2018). The book ‘Songs from the Stations’ (Sydney University Press, 2019) was more generally about Gurindji Wajarra including Laka and was launched by Senator Malarndirri McCarthy. News of this research was reported on the ABC News in late 2018. You can read more about Wanji-wanji and further research by Myf Turpin and Clint Bracknell on this website.
‘Songs from the Stations’ which was launched by Senator Malarndirri McCarthy in November 2018 and aired on NITV the same month (l-r Penny Smith, Brenda L Croft, Sen. McCarthy, Felicity Meakins, Myf Turpin, and Gurindji singers
Media links:
ABC online ‘Indigenous ‘pop songs’ travelled thousands of kilometres across Australia, research find’
ABC News ‘Wajarra songs’ 4 Nov
The Conversation published piece on Aboriginal Australia’s Smash Hit that went Viral 25/3/19
ABC Radio with Myf Warhurst ‘Ancient Indigenous pop songs’ 4 Nov