A precinct-wide sound installation by Tristan Field, Jack Hickey & Travis De Vries

Sound of Country is a site-responsive sound installation that gently weaves First Nations ambient compositions throughout the South Eveleigh precinct during NAIDOC Week.

Created by Tristan Field, Jack Hickey and Travis De Vries, the work draws upon field recordings captured across the artists' homelands and places of deep personal significance. Environmental sounds, memory, atmosphere and contemporary composition are layered together to create a living sonic experience that unfolds throughout the day.

Played through discreetly positioned speakers across key public spaces, Sound of Country invites audiences to slow down and listen differently. The installation blurs the line between the sounds of the precinct and the sounds of Country, creating moments where birdsong, wind, water and texture emerge unexpectedly amongst the rhythms of daily life.

Rather than demanding attention, the work rewards curiosity. It offers workers, visitors and community members an opportunity to pause, reflect and reconnect with place through sound.
As audiences move through the precinct, South Eveleigh itself becomes part of the composition — a meeting point between Country, community and contemporary urban life.

“Oceanic Reverie and Water Country are built from field recordings collected across my personal archive over many years. I spend a lot of time wandering, taking photos and sitting away from a field microphone letting it capture the essence of place.

I’m interested in the way sound holds memory - how the movement of water, wind and the natural world can transport us back to places we've known or remind us of places we've yet to understand. Layering those recordings with granular synthesis and piano allows familiar sounds to become something dreamlike; somewhere between documentation and imagination. Rather than recreating Country, these works are an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, and reflect on our relationship with the landscapes that shape us.” Travis De Vries

“"Swimming Through Nguru (Country/Place)" compiles many sounds hailing from Bidjigal Country, all the way into Arnhem Land. As a saltwater person, this journey starts where my people are from, follows the songlines, and returns back home.” Tristan Field

"Creating this was incredibly enjoyable, blending modern production with traditional instruments like drums and Yidaki, alongside gifted samples. I played with creating tension and release in this piece.
Built on a field recording of Terry’s Creek, the piece evokes childhood memories of sitting by the water—feeling safe yet cautious as nature rustles and stirs around you. That stillness heightens your senses, capturing the awareness of something deeper in the water. I imagined myself as part of that environment: a frog creating ripples, a skipping dragonfly, or a falling leaf. The sounds you hear stem from placing myself into this landscape.” Jack Hickey - The Yowie

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

TRAVIS DE VRIES
Travis De Vries is a Gamilaroi and Darug composer, sound artist and multidisciplinary creative working under the name Source Decay. Drawing on field recordings, ambient composition and neo-classical influences, his work explores memory, place and our relationship to Country through sound. His compositions weave together environmental recordings, strings, piano and electronic textures to create immersive listening experiences that invite audiences to slow down and connect more deeply with the world around them. His sound works have been featured in galleries, public art installations, theatre productions and major cultural events, including audio Welcome to Country commissions for the Sydney Opera House, Riverside Theatres and SXSW Sydney.

TRISTAN FIELD
Tristan Field is a Sri Lankan and First Nations person from the Walbunga people, from the South Coast of New South Wales and the Bidjigal/Dharrawal people from La Perouse.
As a composer, Tristan has many accomplishments, including being the first recipient of the David Page Music Fellowship with Bangarra Dance Theatre (2017). From there, he has written music for various projects, most notably SXSW Sydney (2023, 2024, 2025), the NRL Indigenous Round at Allianz Stadium (2025) and three compositions with the Australian Ballet’s Education and Outreach team (2020 & 2022, 2024), co-created with First Nations dancer Ella Havelka. A hallmark project project Tristan is most proud of, was being a Producer and Guitarist for Indigenous Enterprises' critically acclaimed show, Still Here, which premiered in New York City at the Joyce Theater (2025).

Tristan strives to collaborate with communities across many different nations, both here and overseas. With his unique ability with sound, Tristan brings the spirit and energy to create an environment through music that invites you to be part of the story.

JACK HICKEY
Jack Hickey (The Yowie) is a Gadigal (Sydney)-based, Gamilaraay composer and multidisciplinary musician from Quirindi, NSW. Murri Fulla.
Creating contemporary production through a Blak lens, he sits in a modern, deeply grounded sound that blends First Nations languages and ceremonial instruments—like the yidaki (didgeridoo)—with contemporary production. His music carries storytelling and identity shaped by the Gamilaraay nation, specifically the Mooki River. Jack’s work is driven by a love of music and storytelling, bringing connection and energy to every project.

With a professional debut in 2014, Hickey has built a dynamic career across the music industry, including a musical theatre debut in the 2019 national tour of The Sapphires. He is a freelance musician who is a member of the contemporary First Nations Avant Guard trio Bow and Arrow and band Source Decay led by Artist and Producer Travis De Vries.

Jack's extensive portfolio of collaborations includes creating tracks for the Brolga Dance Clan and a notable Apple Indigenous collaboration for the Modern Art Gallery Sydney. His work extends to significant public installations, such as his debut solo work, the MIRVAC NAIDOC soundscape 2026, titled ALONE @ TCREEK. This site-responsive installation at South Eveleigh weaves First Nations ambient compositions and field recordings from Terry’s Creek into the urban landscape, rewarding listener curiosity with unexpected layers of birdsong, water and wind. Beyond these projects, Jack has performed at major events including the Parrtjima Festival, NITV 10 year anniversary “From the Heart of Our Nation at Uluru, A Celebration.”, and the Sydney Opera House for Badu Gili, Live from The House, Emily Wurramara live.

Learn about Mirvac's Reconciliation Action Plan HERE.