Nelly Farmiloe, Photography Studies College, Australia

ZK1AA

ZK1AA explores the remnants of my family heritage in the Cook Islands. This project looks at the literally decaying archives of my grandfather’s legacy as a radio communications engineer, recovered from our family properties on the island of Rarotonga. 

I have returned to our old family home in Rarotonga several times, revisiting and photographing the telecommunications site that my grandfather worked in, which is rapidly being consumed by the now surrounding jungle. Although the land is not officially owned by my family, our history is told in the archives, journals and audio recordings that have been unearthed at the site. 

This process of retrieving this information is painstaking, delicate and important. The images and historical documentation fuel a wider inquiry into the familial, community and historical importance of the site as it sits on the cusp of being reclaimed. However, while the building may be lost to the tangled wilds, the remains indicate the significance of my grandfather’s work in Rarotonga and a community history forgotten.