Carrier Wave

For tens of thousands of years the Wangal people developed and passed down ancient knowledge systems that are grounded in sustainable living and a deep care for Country. More recently, migrants to Strathfield have brought other perspectives and knowledge systems to the area.

Carrier Wave is a light installation that conveys the depth and wisdom that these diverse cultures bring to Strathfield through a continuous transmission of Morse code: the earliest form of high-speed international communication.

The Morse code messages communicate fifty sage proverbs that originate from the most-reported ancestral backgrounds of Strathfield residents in the 2021 census.

Modern nation states are newer than proverbs, so pin-pointing the provenance of a proverb to a single country can be challenging. Nevertheless, the phrases communicated in the work aptly represent the insight that migration has gifted Strathfield through the many diverse voices that call it home.

Fifty Proverbs

1. Always was, always will be.
   – Aboriginal Australian
   always was always will be
2. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
   – Chinese
   a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
3. Many hands make light work.
   – English
   many hands make light work
4. Love overlooks defects, hatred magnifies them.
   – Lebanese
   love overlooks defects hatred magnifies them
5. If you want a well, dig only in one place.
   – Korean
   if you want a well dig only in one place
6. Don’t poison someone who you can kill with sweets.
   ‍– Indian
   do not poison someone who you can kill with sweets
7. Wealth is both an enemy and a friend.
   – Nepalese
   wealth is both an enemy and a friend
8. If you can’t live longer, live deeper.
   – Italian
   if you can not live longer live deeper
9. When the pain has passed, one forgets the medicine.
   – Vietnamese
   when the pain has passed one forgets the medicine
10. Age is honourable. Youth is noble.
    – Irish
    age is honourable youth is noble
11. When I drown, the whole world drowns.
    – Tamil
    when I drown the whole world drowns
12. Before you score, you first must have a goal.
    – Greek
    before you score you first must have a goal
13. Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.
    – Scottish
    be happy while you are living for you are a long time dead
14. The whiteness of the crane appears only when it flies.
    – Sri Lankan
    the whiteness of the crane appears only when it flies
15. A beautiful thing is never perfect.
    – Egyptian
    a beautiful thing is never perfect
16. If bamboo makes a loud sound, it is empty.
    – Filipino
    if bamboo makes a loud sound it is empty
17. Where the army goes there is no grass.
    – Croatian
    where the army goes there is no grass
18. One teacher is better than two books.
    – German
    one teacher is better than two books
19. Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.
    – Pakistani
    pride is concerned with who is right humility is concerned with what is right
20. There is no shame in not knowing. The shame lies in not finding out.
    – Russian
    there is no shame in not knowing the shame lies in not finding out
21. Examine what is said, not who speaks.
    – Arabian
    examine what is said not who speaks
22. Do not push the river, it will flow by itself.
    – Polish
    do not push the river it will flow by itself
23. Be thine enemy an ant, see in them an elephant.
    – Turkish
    be thine enemy an ant see in him an elephant
24. The shadow should be the same length as the body.
    – Indonesian
    the shadow should be the same length as the body
25. Do not rejoice at my grief, for when mine is old, yours will be new.
    – Spanish
    do not rejoice at my grief for when mine is old yours will be new
26. The morning is wiser than the evening.
    – Serbian
    the morning is wiser than the evening
27. Time flows like the flow of water in a river.
    – Bengali
    time flows like the flow of water in a river
28. Good advice is often annoying, bad advice never is.
    – French
    good advice is often annoying bad advice never is
29. In a battle between elephants, the ants get squashed.
    – Thai
    in a battle between elephants the ants get squashed
30. Time is precious and cannot be bought.
    – Maltese
    time is precious and cannot be bought
31. Movement is a blessing.
    – Syrian
    movement is a blessing
32. A bird’s feather, a person’s friend.
    – Hungarian
    a birds feather a persons friend
33. We must convince by reason, not prescribe by tradition.
    – Cypriot
    we must convince by reason not prescribe by tradition
34. The accomplice is as bad as the thief.
    – Portuguese
    the accomplice is as bad as the thief
35. Deep doubts, deep wisdom; small doubts, small wisdom.
    – Taiwanese
    deep doubts deep wisdom small doubts small wisdom
36. Ants die in sugar.
    – Malay
    ants die in sugar
37. Fall seven times, stand up eight.
    – Japanese
    fall seven times stand up eight
38. A mountain never meets a mountain, but a person meets a person.
    – Iranian
    a mountain never meets a mountain but a person meets a person
39. Those who dig an evil hole will fall into it. The empty gives way to the full.
    – Palestinian
    those who dig an evil hole will fall into it the empty gives way to the full
40. Hope takes you a long way.
    – Punjabi
    hope takes you a long way
41. The waves rise high and the swimmer tries to go higher.
    – Fijian
    the waves rise high and the swimmer tries to go higher
42. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your beard in order to save your head.
    – Iraqi
    sometimes you have to sacrifice your beard in order to save your head
43. They who are outside their door already have a hard part of their journey behind them.
    – Dutch
    they who are outside their door already have a hard part of their journey behind them
44. Friendship is a furrow in the sand.
    – Tongan
    friendship is a furrow in the sand
45. If you take big paces, you leave big spaces.
    – Burmese
    if you take big paces you leave big spaces
46. You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.
    – American
    you scratch my back and I will scratch yours
47. Turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you.
    – Maori
    turn your face to the sun and the shadows will fall behind you
48. Let the wind choose as to the quickness of a canoe.
    – Samoan
    let the wind choose as to the quickness of a canoe
49. Under a ragged coat lies wisdom.
    – Romanian
    under a ragged coat lies wisdom
50. To be willing is only half the task.
    – Armenian
    to be willing is only half the task

Artwork by
Studio Chris Fox and Studio Mike Daly

Proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with Strathfield Council