Saltwater Projects · Sound Works
Sound from sea country.
Acoustic ecology, hydrophone archives, and sound walks from Port Phillip Bay to the open Pacific.
Acoustic ecology, hydrophone archives, and sound walks from Port Phillip Bay to the open Pacific.
In celebration of World Ocean Day 2020, Saltwater Projects presents an eco-acoustic sound walk — The Pelican Time Machine — first shared at the Festival of Sails 2020.
The ecoacoustic story walk is designed to be heard as you imagine walking (or actually walk) along the foreshore in Geelong. The sound walk starts at Steam Packet Gardens and navigates Cunningham Pier and back, ending down Alexander Thompson Pier in front of the carousel.
Listen to gain some fresh perspectives on Geelong, particularly from a watery point of view. This is a half hour walk. If you do walk and listen on your phone — the Geelong foreshore is very accessible for all abilities. Be aware that you may be passed by a miniature tourist train on your amble.
Picture: State Library Queensland. Lightening on fire.
Since 2013, Saltwater Projects has maintained a passive acoustic monitoring program across Port Phillip and Western Port as part of the Two Bays program. Hydrophones at multiple sites capture soundscapes that span whale song, vessel noise, storm events, and the quiet of lockdown — a continuous sonic record of the bay's health over time.
In 2022, we contributed the Elster Creek hydrophone (Monash Bridge, Elsternwick) to the global Reveil deep-listening network — a 24-hour relay of environmental sound from dawn to dawn, crossing the world. The Elster Creek recordings mark the first year of our urban catchment monitoring, capturing everything from bellbirds to construction runoff.
The acoustic archive is available for research collaboration. Contact Natalie Davey to enquire.
