Australian
Screen

an NFSA website

Fanny Cochrane Smith’s Tasmanian Aboriginal Songs (1899)

Your version of Flash is out of date. Upgrade now if you'd like to access our high quality videos.
May contain names, images or voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Email a link to this page
To:
CC:
Subject:
Body:
clip
  • 1
Tasmanian Aboriginal Songs

Clip description

In this recording, Fanny Cochrane Smith talks about being the last of the Tasmanians. She then sings in both English and her own language. It is part of a series of recordings made between 1899 and 1903.

Curator’s notes

by Sophia Sambono

The quality of the recording is rather scratchy, but it is still amazingly clear. Fanny Cochrane Smith sang into the bell of the gramophone to record these songs on wax cylinders.

Her spoken introduction before the song begins with 'I’m Fanny Smith. I was born on Flinders Island. I’m the last of the Tasmanians.’ This recording was made by Horace Watson at the Royal Society of Tasmania on 5 August 1899.

Read more at the University of Sydney AustralHarmony resource page.

Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer Tasmanian Aboriginal Songs from the music Fanny Cochrane Smith's Tasmanian Aboriginal Songs as a download.

You must read and agree to the following terms and conditions before downloading the clip:

australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions. All rights are reserved.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • Where permitted, you may embed materials for your personal or non-commercial educational use only.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

Right click on the link below to download the audio file:

fannycoc1_bb.mp3

Thanks to the generosity of the rights holders, we are able to offer this clip in an embeddable format for personal or non-commercial educational use in full form on your own website or your own blog.

You must read and agree to the following terms and conditions before embedding the clip:

australianscreen is produced by the National Film and Sound Archive. By using the website you agree to comply with the terms and conditions described elsewhere on this site. The NFSA may amend the 'Conditions of Use’ from time to time without notice.

All materials on the site, including but not limited to text, video clips, audio clips, designs, logos, illustrations and still images, are protected by the Copyright Laws of Australia and international conventions. All rights are reserved.

When you access australianscreen you agree that:

  • You may retrieve materials for information only.
  • Where permitted, you may embed materials for your personal or non-commercial educational use only.
  • The National Film and Sound Archive’s permission must be sought to amend any information in the materials, unless otherwise stated in notices throughout the Site.

ANY UNAUTHORISED USE OF MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY RESULT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LIABILITY.

Copy and paste the following code into your own web page to embed this clip: