Fanny ‘Cochrane’ Smith was born into a world in chaos. It was 1834 and after thirty years of war most of the Tasmanian Aboriginal people were dead. But she survived.
Fanny Smith is remembered today for her iconic wax cylinder recordings, singing and speaking in her Pakana language, the first recordings of any Aboriginal language in Australia. In defiance of claims that her people were now ‘extinct’, she practiced, celebrated and shared her culture. She worked hard and with her husband William raised eleven children, leaving a legacy for her descendants and the world.
This is her inspiring story, told by her great-great granddaughters Colleen Frost, Kerry and June Sculthorpe, great grandson Ivan Waas, and historian Dr Rebe Taylor.
The producer is Nicole Steinke, the narrator is Roxanne McDonald, with sound design by Russell Stapleton.
Associate Professor Rebe Taylor, University of Tasmania, is author of 'Into the Heart of Tasmania - a search for human antiquity'. Publisher: MUP, 2017.