Sonic City Sydney by Spineless Wonders

The Disused Tunnels under St James Station

St James Station

Words by KA Rees | Sounds by Jeff Zhang

Now descending to the hushed end of the tunnel, moving towards the Botanic Garden where the roots of fig trees drip time.

In the hidden tunnels of St James Station, history is a breath away from myth. Inspired by Dr Sonqiue’s 1992 performance ‘An Unrequited Space’.

About the Artists

KA REES is a writer of short fiction and poetry. Her work has appeared in various publications including by Australian Poetry, Cordite Poetry Review, Island online, New Australian Fiction, Overland, and Yalobusha Review, among others. Kate was the recipient of the 2019 (national) NWF joanne burns Award. She has been shortlisted for the Furphy Literary Award, Judith Wright Poetry Prize, the Nillumbik Prize for Contemporary Writing and is a recipient of the Barry Hannah Prize in fiction. Kate lives on Gai-mariagal country in Sydney.

JEFF ZHANG is a Sydney-based sound designer, website and mobile app consultant and programmer. Jeff enjoys providing immersive location-based experiences that integrate the digital and the physical and are accessible to diverse audiences. He has a strong commitment to developing innovative solutions and democratising technological access through collaborations with creative companies such as Spineless Wonders. 

This story is part of 

Imaginative Recreation Project 2023 – sharing little-known stories from Sydney’s past.

Listen to all Imaginative Recreation stories here

curated + presented by

Spineless Wonders Publishing

SONIC CITY SYDNEY

Stories and sounds of Sydney. Sonic City Sydney is a series of audio-stories, each under five minutes in length, produced by Spineless Wonders and Echidna Audio and funded by the City of Sydney.