Our Norf'k language as spoken in 1957

Episode 51 of the Untold Norfolk Island Travel Podcast podcast, hosted by Jodie Williams, titled "Our Norf'k language as spoken in 1957" was published on October 23, 2025 and runs 30 minutes.

October 23, 2025 ·30m · Untold Norfolk Island Travel Podcast

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Summary

Our Norf'k language as spoken in 1957 - In a couple of my earlier podcast episodes, I have shared some of the recordings as captured in 1957, by linguist and fieldworker, Elwyn Flint from the University of Queensland. His visit to the island involved his capturing in sound recordings some of the first in-depth documentation into the Norf’k language. Upon delving into the old typewritten copies of his journals, there was a list which highlighted 17 dialogues which he recorded on the isl...

Episode Description

Our Norf'k language as spoken in 1957 -

In a couple of my earlier podcast episodes, I have shared some of the recordings as captured in 1957, by linguist and fieldworker, Elwyn Flint from the University of Queensland. His visit to the island involved his capturing in sound recordings some of the first in-depth documentation into the Norf’k language.

Upon delving into the old typewritten copies of his journals, there was a list which highlighted 17 dialogues which he recorded on the island. Within my own collection, I had been gifted a copy of 10 of these, and I always wondered where the others that seemed to be missing were filed? The ten audios I had, were transposed from a record to digital format. And I would wonder, perhaps there had been another record copy which has been lost to time?

So, it was to my absolute delight, that this week, whilst re-filing and cataloguing old audio tracks, that I came across a file randomly named in numbers. I exported this file into my sound program to listen to the track. And now, I can share this with you all - the other dialogues which had been missing from Flint’s collection we have on hand!

Life for children on Norfolk Island during the 1950s was a remarkable blend of freedom, adventure, and tight-knit community spirit. Far removed from bustling cities, young islanders enjoyed a childhood defined by the rhythms of nature and the warmth of tradition. The island's rugged beauty became their playground, where every rock pool, every stretch of sand, and every winding forest track held the promise of adventure and discovery.

Norfolk Island’s geographic isolation often fosters self-reliance and creativity amongst our youngest residents. Particularly during the eras without television or modern distractions, children crafted their own entertainment from the abundant natural resources surrounding them.

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