Rare Pacific musical treasures unveiled in free Adelaide exhibition

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Image: Brenton Edwards

A towering 2.8-metre drum from Vanuatu and a collection of rare musical instruments, some never before displayed publicly, are taking centre stage at the South Australian Museum in a new free exhibition celebrating Pacific culture.

Pacific Cultures in Motion: Revitalising the Collection brings together significant objects from the Museum’s Pacific Cultures collection, exploring the musical traditions and cultural connections of communities across the Pacific.

The exhibition was inspired by an unexpected collaboration between Adelaide-based Ni-Vanuatu performer Edgell Junior Edgell and Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara musician Elisha Umuhuri, a member of the award-winning APY Lands hip-hop trio DEM MOB.

Both artists work with Adelaide children’s performing arts company Patch Theatre, which approached the Museum about incorporating a traditional Vanuatu slit drum into the soundtrack for an upcoming production premiering in 2027.

The collaboration has since grown into a public exhibition, featuring video footage of the musicians working together in the studio and discussing the importance of music to their respective cultures.

Among the objects on display is an impressive 2.8-metre-high slit drum, known as a tamtam, originating from the island of Ambrym in Vanuatu.

Visitors can also discover traditional dance rattles made from the fruit of the tropical Pangium edule tree, alongside musical balls and bamboo flutes being exhibited publicly for the first time.

Originally from Pentecost Island in central Vanuatu, Edgell Junior explains that musical instruments carry distinct cultural meanings across the country’s islands and language groups.

“Music is such an important part of Ni-Vanuatu culture. We don’t just sing or play it, we live it,” he said.

While slit drums are found across Vanuatu, their designs vary between islands. Edgell Junior notes that the facial features carved into the Museum’s Ambrym drum distinguish it from the traditional drums of his home island of Pentecost.

The exhibition also forms part of a broader conservation and cultural care program launched in July 2026, which is being delivered in partnership with the Pacific Islands Council of South Australia and Pasifika community leaders.

South Australian Museum Director Dr Samantha Hamilton said the display was the first in a series of community-informed exhibitions designed to reconnect visitors with the Museum’s internationally significant Pacific Cultures collection.

“We’re excited to be providing an opportunity for visitors to experience significant Pacific cultural objects while our conservation program is undertaken,” Dr Hamilton said.

The ongoing program aims to ensure ancestral objects receive culturally appropriate care while strengthening relationships between the Museum and Pacific communities.

Pacific Cultures in Motion: Revitalising the Collection is on display in the Museum’s North Foyer until early 2027.