Ten extraordinary pieces of audio content that have inspired and moved Australians over the past century have been inducted into the NFSA’s prestigious Sounds of Australia registry, reflecting their capacity to reflect and shape Australian culture.
The 2022 additions represent a huge diversity of sound recordings, including speeches, a classic TV theme tune, advertising, breaking radio news and music.
In addition to then Prime Minister Gillard’s famous 2012 misogyny speech, significant current affairs reporting in the Sounds of Australia includes 17 hours of radio broadcast live by Radio Redfern on January 26, 1988, when more than 40,000 people took part in the largest march in Sydney since the Vietnam moratorium.
The first known audio from an Australian Governor-General makes the list, as does Stayin’ Alive by The Bee Gees, a live concert recording from the Horrie Dargie Harlequintet which became Australia’s first gold record, Jack Lumsden’s iconic war tune Digger, and the theme tune from Neighbours.
Decimal currency was introduced to Australians in 1965 with the catchy jingle Out With The Old And In With The New, and Sister Janet Mead, who died earlier this year, is remembered for her surprise No 1 pop-rock version of The Lord’s Prayer.
The 2022 Sounds of Australia, in chronological order, are:
1. Farewell address, Hallam Lord Tennyson – 1904
2. Digger, Jack Lumsdaine – 1942,
3. Horrie Dargie Concert, The Horrie Dargie Harlequintet – 1952
4. The Drover’s Dream; The Bullockies’ Ball, The Bushwhackers – 1956
5. Out with the old and in with the new [decimal currency jingle], Ted Roberts (lyricist) – 1965
6. The Lord’s Prayer, Sister Janet Mead – 1973
7. Stayin’ Alive, The Bee Gees – 1977
8. Neighbours theme song, Barry Crocker (Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent) – 1987
9. Bicentenary protest coverage, Radio Redfern – 1988
10. The Misogyny speech, Julia Gillard – 2012
The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia registry was established in 2007. Sounds are nominated every year by a public vote and voted on by a panel of audio industry experts. The NFSA selects them on the strength of their cultural, historical and aesthetic relevance, and their ability to inform or reflect life in Australia.
Popular music, advertising themes, spoken word, radio broadcasts and any sound recordings are all eligible, as long as they’re Australian. The National Film and Sound Archive is the home of the national audio-visual collection, which includes more than 300,000 audio items.
“The 2022 list of Sounds of Australia additions is a rich and diverse testament to the enduring power of audio in all its forms. Its ability to reflect Australian society – from momentous political moments to the entertainment that brings us joy – is incomparable and enduring,” said Thorsten Kaeding, NFSA’s Curator for the Sounds of Australia project.
“We’re privileged to induct these recordings into the Sounds of Australia registry so that we can preserve and share them with Australians for decades to come.”
The complete Sounds of Australia list is available on the NFSA website. For more information, visit: www.nfsa.gov.au for details.
Image: The Misogyny speech by Julia Gillard – courtesy of the NFSA