Water movement at the small weir at Commmonwealth Park

Captain Cook Memorial Jet and some other ambience including a truck passing by

Rowers and following motor boat passing under Commonwealth Avenue Bridge

Ambience from the pier near Mr Spokes Bike Hire (RIP) including footsteps on the Pier

Unidentified creatures blowing bubbles from the Lake floor, with PA announcements and swimmers from the Trilogy Triathlon also contributing to the ambience

Electrical hum from machinery (a pump maybe) near the corner of Lady Denman Drive and Parkes Way

Ambience including traffic passing over the bridge at the Scrivener Dam wall

Bringing the hydrophones out of the water

Have you ever wondered what lies beneath the surface of Lake Burley Griffin? Come and explore the aural underwater environment Beneath the Surface.

This immersive soundscape is comprised of hydrophone (underwater microphone) recordings from Lake Burley Griffin, taking you on a journey from near where the Molonglo River and Jerrabomberra Wetlands flow into the Lake right through to Scrivener Dam.

Lake Burley Griffin has been the centrepiece of Canberra since the 1960’s. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the scenic body of water, and undertake a variety of activities on and around the lake. However very few people get to explore beneath the surface.

This soundscape was originally exhibited as part of an installation at Enlighten Festival 2019.

Credits
Artist and Project Manager: Tim Duck
Field Recordings: Tim Duck, Jeff Meklons, Lachlan Lipsett

Thanks
Enlighten, Ayla Pentikainen, Vickii Cotter (Visabel),
The Wired Lab, Peter Shea, Dayne Rathbone

What do you hear in the recordings?

Over 100 audio recordings were made by Tim Duck, Jeff Meklons and Lachlan Lipsett in January and February 2019. 20 of these recordings have been included in the final Beneath the Surface soundscape.

Here is a summary of what is included (please note that a lot of recordings overlap): 

00:00 - 00:26 – Person diving into the water

00:01 – 00:56 – Waterboatmen insects stridulating near where Jerrabomberra Creek runs into the Lake

00:37 – 01:14 – Electric boat (Go Boat) travelling out of Trevillian Quay

00:54 – 02:28 – Pirate Party Cruise boat idling at dock in Trevillian Quay from two perspectives

02:02 – 03:20 – Rain sequence including some wild noises near a stormwater drain from water and air movements

03:01 – 04:40 – Night time ambience near the Aspen Island footbridge

03:20 – 04:59 – Day time ambience and Carillion 2pm chime at Aspen Island

04:38 – 05:51 – Water movement at the small weir at Commmonwealth Park

05:33 – 06:25 – Captain Cook Memorial Jet and some other ambience including a truck passing by

05:24 – 07:19 – Rowers and following motor boat passing under Commonwealth Avenue Bridge

06:09 – 08:19 – Ambience from the pier near Mr Spokes Bike Hire (RIP) including footsteps on the Pier

07:38 – 09:03 – Kayaker passing by in Yarralumla Bay

08:19 – 10:17 – Unidentified creatures blowing bubbles from the Lake floor, with PA announcements and swimmers from the Trilogy Triathlon also contributing to the ambience

09:19 – 09:57 – Electrical hum from machinery (a pump maybe) near the corner of Lady Denman Drive and Parkes Way

09:31 – 10:13 – Ambience including traffic passing over the bridge at the Scrivener Dam wall

10:16 – 10:25 – Bringing the hydrophones out of the water

Beneath The Surface

Tim is an audio and event professional, with an interest in music, film, comedy, art, creativity and the environment. His audio work includes music recording and mixing, field recording, sound art installations, location recording and audio post-production for film, television, radio, games, podcasts and whatever other multimedia format he can get his hands on. Tim undertakes most of his freelance business activities under the name Versed Productions.

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