Sounds of Australia

Sounds of Australia
The Fairlight CMI, the world’s first polyphonic digital sampling synthesizer, invented in 1979 by Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, was added to the Sounds of Australia in 2015
Awarded forThe National Film and Sound Archive's annual capsule of iconic Australian audio moments.
CountryAustralia
Presented byNational Film & Sound Archive
EligibilityEligible sound recordings must be Australian and at least 10 years old. The final selection is curated by a panel of industry experts and NFSA curators, with input from public nominations.
First award2007
Websitewww.nfsa.gov.au/sounds

The Sounds of Australia, formerly the National Registry of Recorded Sound, is the National Film & Sound Archive's selection of sound recordings deemed culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant and relevant for Australia. It was founded in 2007.

History

The National Registry of Recorded Sound was established in 2007[1] by the National Film and Sound Archive to encourage appreciation of the diversity of sounds recorded in Australia, since the first phonographs made by the Edison Manufacturing Company were available in Australia in the mid-1890s.[2]

The earliest recording in the archive is "The Hen Convention", a song recorded before 15 January 1897 by an amateur sound recordist, Thomas Rome of Warrnambool, who imported the most modern equipment from the United States. The song features the voice of John James Villiers, also of Warrnambool. It is a novelty song, featuring imitations of sounds made by chickens.[3][4]

Other early sound recordings include Aboriginal Tasmanian women's songs (1899),[5] Spencer and Gillen's 1901 recordings on wax cylinder of Arrernte, Anmatyerr, Kaytetye, Warumungu, Luritja, and Arabana peoples of central Australia[6] (added in 2019[7]), and Ernest Shackleton talking about his polar expedition in 1910.[5]

Description

As part of the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), it is part of a "living archive", to share in many ways and to keep for future generations.[8]

The Australian public nominates new sounds to be added each year, with final selections determined by a panel of industry experts and NFSA curators. There are usually about ten recordings added each year. They represent significant achievements in how we have recorded the sounds of our history and memory.[2]

The criteria for nomination are wide: "they can be popular songs, advertising jingles, famous speeches, radio broadcasts, or any other sound recordings" – but they must be Australian and be more than 10 years old.[5][9]

Recordings

In this table, "2007a" refers to the 2007 Foundation List (entries chosen before official voting began), while "2007b" refers to the first of the annual registry additions, also in 2007. The list of inductees for 2025 was skipped over.

Recording or collection Performer or agent Release year Addition year NFSA
Title No.
"The Hen Convention"
Earliest extant Australian sound recording
John James Villiers c. 1896 2007a 452097
"Chant Vénitien" Dame Nellie Melba 1904 301462
”The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt”[A] 1915 229758
"Along the Road to Gundagai" Peter Dawson 1931 332353
"Give a Little Credit To Your Dad"/"Lonesome For You Mother Dear" Buddy Williams 1939 190438
"Swanston St Shamble"/"Two Day Jag" Graeme Bell's Dixieland Band 1944 232811
Tribal Music of Australia Indigenous Australians from the Yirrkala district in Arnhem Land; recorded by A. P. Elkin 1953 242999
"She's My Baby" Johnny O'Keefe 1960 291386
'Kerr's cur' speech Gough Whitlam 1975, Nov. 11 156392
"Down Under" Men At Work 1981 337398
Fanny Cochrane Smith's Tasmanian Aboriginal Songs Fanny Cochrane Smith, recorded by Horace Watson 1899, 1903 2007b 500445
"My South Polar Expedition" Sir Ernest Shackleton 1910 562537
Dad and Dave from Snake Gully
First episode
George Edwards, and others 1937, May 31 737158
"The Majestic Fanfare"
ABC radio news theme
Queen's Hall Light Orchestra; Charles Williams, conductor 1943 737182
"Maranoa Lullaby" Harold Blair 1950 245797
Corroboree Sydney Symphony Orchestra; Sir Eugene Goossens, conductor; John Antill, composer 1950 297286
Jack Luscombe oral history Jack Luscombe; recorded by John Meredith 1953 737269
"Friday on My Mind" The Easybeats 1966 258900
"(I'm) Stranded" The Saints 1976 322350
"Jailanguru Pakarnu" Warumpi Band 1983 244115
"Country Gardens" Percy Grainger 1919 2008 510950
"Waltzing Matilda" John Collinson, tenor; Russell Callow, piano 1926 283469
The 1930 Australian XI: Winners of the Ashes Don Bradman, Bill Woodfull, Clarrie Grimmett, Alan Kippax, Stan McCabe, Tim Wall 1930 266765
"The Aeroplane Jelly Song" Joy King 1938 402848, 281850
Theme from Blue Hills ("Pastorale") New Century Orchestra; Sidney Torch, conductor; Ronald Hanmer, composer 1949 503205
"A Pub with No Beer" Slim Dusty 1957 190647
Irkanda IV Melbourne Symphony Orchestra; John Hopkins, conductor; Peter Sculthorpe, composer 1967 332275
Bird and Animal Calls of Australia Recorded by Harold J Pollock 1968 255276
"Most People I Know (Think That I'm Crazy)" Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs 1972 291714
"We Have Survived" No Fixed Address 1981 210397
London recordings Newcastle Steelworks Band; Albert Baile, conductor 1924 2009 560469
"Happy Little Vegemites" Betty Parker, Stephen Parker, Julia Parker, and Linda Marcy 1959 537271
Smoky Dawson and the Adventure of The Singing Bullet Smoky Dawson 1955 281755
"My Country" Read by Dorothea Mackellar 1958 328116
Georgia Lee Sings the Blues Down Under Georgia Lee 1962 511557
In the Head the Fire South Australian Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Singers, and other soloists and vocalists; John Hopkins, conductor; Nigel Butterley, composer 1966 323123
Lionel Rose wins the World Title Ron Casey 1968 283495
"I Am Woman"[B] Helen Reddy 1972 619633
The Loner Vic Simms 1973 757646
"Treaty" Yothu Yindi 1991 226648
"Hinkler's Message to Australia"/"Incidents of My Flight" Bert Hinkler 1928 2010 267488
"Wrap Me Up In My Stockwhip and Blanket" Tex Morton 1936 365991
Announcement of the declaration of World War II Robert Menzies 1939, Sep. 3 188388
Announcement of war with Japan John Curtin 1941, Dec. 8 677049
"Bye Bye Baby" Col Joye 1959 271642
Pick a Box Bob and Dolly Dyer 1963, Aug. 20 569
Just the Beginning Don Burrows Quartet 1971 263853
"Eagle Rock" Daddy Cool 1971 300956
Opening concert of the Sydney Opera House Sydney Symphony Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras, conductor; Birgit Nilsson, soprano 1973, Sep. 29 766280
Commentary of the 4 x 100 men's medley relay final at the Moscow Olympics Norman May 1980, Jul. 24 750967
"We Are Going" Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) 1986 699094
Rebetika Songs Apodimi Compania 1987 138939
"From Little Things Big Things Grow" Paul Kelly and Kev Carmody 1993 244410
Redfern Park speech Paul Keating 1992, Dec. 10
Recordings of the Cambridge Anthropological Expedition to the Torres Straits Alfred Cort Haddon and others 1898 2011 8879
"The Sailors" Stiffy and Mo 1927 253375
Ken Howard calls the Melbourne Cup Ken Howard 1941, 1952[C] 338699
The maiden parliamentary speeches of Dame Enid Lyons and Dorothy Tangney Dame Enid Lyons, Dame Dorothy Tangney 1943–1944 483285, 483102
The Art of the Prima Donna Dame Joan Sutherland 1960 321750
"I'll Never Find Another You" The Seekers 1964 82220
Living in the 70's Skyhooks 1974 263933
Report on Cyclone Tracy, Darwin Mike Hayes and Bruce Grundy 1974
"I Should Be So Lucky" Kylie Minogue 1987 376096
Voss Australian Opera Chorus, Sydney Symphony Orchestra; Stuart Challender, conductor; Geoffrey Chard, Marilyn Richardson and other soloists; Richard Meale, composer; David Malouf, libretto 1987 230032
"The Black Watch" Percy Herford c. 1907 2012 778653
Sydney recordings Queenie and David Kaili 1927–1932
Grace Gibson Productions radio serials Various artists, produced by Grace Gibson 1944–c.1982
The Luise Hercus Collection, AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive Dr Luise A Hercus 1962–1997
"Royal Telephone" Jimmy Little 1963 319442
Patrol from Da Nang Tim Bowden 1966
A Track Winding Back Barry Humphries and Dick Bentley 1972 1063868
"It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)" AC/DC 1975 291607
Tender Prey Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 1988 425260
Aether The Necks 2001 567489
"Hold Your Hand Out Naughty Boy" Florrie Forde 1913 2013 189112
Yes, What? Rex Dawe and others 1936–1940 143364
"Bombora" The Atlantics 1963 291724
The Land Where the Crow Flies Backwards Dougie Young 1964 244102
"The Real Thing" Russell Morris 1969 338066
"I Still Call Australia Home" Peter Allen 1980 291702
Improvisations in Acoustic Chambers Ros Bandt 1981 230121
This Sporting Life Roy and HG 1986–2008
Recording of a superb lyrebird at Healesville, Victoria Greg Wignell 1987
"Took the Children Away" Archie Roach 1990 376653
"They Always Follow Me" Syria Lamonte 1898 2014 1251712
Speech at the opening of the Columbia Graphophone Company Australian factory Sir Dudley de Chair 1926 774314
Concert in a cave at Tobruk Recorded by Chester Wilmot, ABC Field Unit 1941, Oct. 1341683
"Fireworks" and "The Orgasmic Opus" Dr Val Stephen 1967 1131993
"Khe Sanh" Cold Chisel 1978 260154
"Boys in Town" Divinyls 1981 296374
"Great Southern Land" Icehouse 1982 428036
"Cattle and Cane" The Go-Betweens 1983 736789
Recording of a lone dingo Vicki Powys 1990 1221379
Deadly Sounds Vibe Australia; hosted by Rhoda Roberts 1993–2014 696283
Message recorded at Mena Camp, Cairo Second Lieutenant Henry Miller Lanser 1914 2015 1488057
"Love Will Find a Way" Gladys Moncrieff 1926 273694
"Argonauts Row" Harold Williams 1941 569911
Aboriginal recordings on the north-west coast John Hutchinson 1959 1275952
Sampling sounds Fairlight CMI 1979–1989
"I Was Only 19 (A Walk in the Light Green)" Redgum 1983 376284
"Like Wow – Wipeout" Hoodoo Gurus 1985 305311
"Alive and Brilliant" Deborah Conway 1993 803963
"LSD" DJ HMC 1995 1458675
"The Nosebleed Section" Hilltop Hoods 2003 661178
"When Father Papered the Parlour" Billy Williams 1912 2016 189178
"Life Without Love" Frank Coughlan's Trocadero Orchestra 1937 268433
"Skippy the Bush Kangaroo" Eric Jupp 1968 495512
"C'mon Aussie C'mon" The Mojo Singers 1978 409679
"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" Eric Bogle 1980[D] 82399
"Power and the Passion" Midnight Oil 1982 217837
"Sounds of Then (This is Australia)" GANGgajang 1985 220914
Antarctica: Suite for Guitar and Orchestra Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; Nigel Westlake, composer 1997 1461560
"My Island Home" Christine Anu 1995 263311
"Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car" The Wiggles 1998 370632
"Sweet Spirit Hear My Prayer" Marie Narelle 1910 2017[13] 189109
"Our Don Bradman" Len Maurice 1930 190535
Australia's Amateur Hour AWA 1940–1958
"Louie the Fly" Ross Higgins 1962 281802
"I Remember You" Frank Ifield 1962 303276
"Play School Theme (There's a Bear in There)" Various performers 1966, 1976, 1987, 2000, 2011
"Love Is in the Air" John Paul Young 1977 310545
Brand New Day (Milliya Rumarra) Kuckles 1981
"Don't Change" INXS 1982 315857
"Not Pretty Enough" Kasey Chambers 2001 529136
"Caro Mio Ben" Ada Crossley 1903 2018[14] 757100
"Freshie"/"After the Dawn" Sydney Simpson and his Wentworth Café Orchestra 1926 196416
Binny Lum Collection Binny Lum and interviewees 1955–1967
"Come Closer to Me" Pilita Corrales 1959 322824
"I've Been Everywhere" Lucky Starr 1962 306316
"Girls in our Town" Margret RoadKnight 1976 287049
"Solid Rock" Goanna 1982 303972
Songlines: Songs of the East Australian Humpback Whales Mark Franklin (The Oceania Project) 1992–2008 1543251
"These Days" Powderfinger 1999 463749
Gurrumul Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu 2008 758793
Cylinder recordings from Central Australia Baldwin Spencer, Francis James Gillen and Aboriginal communities 1901–1902 2019[15]
Twilight of the Gods (Die Götterdämmerung) Florence Austral 1928 273004
"I'm the Sheik of Scrubby Creek" Chad Morgan 1952 275674
Prestophone master tape
("Old Rugged Hills"/"Rhythm of Corroboree",
"When My Homeland is Calling"/"Maranoa Moon")
Olive and Eva 1955–1956 249178
"The Man from Snowy River" Leonard Teale 1956 193755
"You're the One That I Want" Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta 1978 222298
"Up There Cazaly" The Two-Man Band 1979 290258
"You're the Voice" John Farnham 1986 296286
"Truly Madly Deeply" Savage Garden 1997 499765
Wild Swans Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; Elena Kats-Chernin, composer 2005 721303
"Starlight" Hamilton Hill 1907 2020 1543945
"Étude de concert in F minor"/"Étude de concert in A flat major" Eileen Joyce 1933 401155
Olympic Games, Melbourne 1956: Opening and closing ceremonies
Official souvenir recordings
1956 312957, 312955
Nausicaa: Opera in Three Acts Athens Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Carlos Surinach; Peggy Glanville-Hicks, composer 1961 701032
Arnhem Land Popular Classics David Blanasi (didgeridu), Djoli Laiwanga (vocals), and other performers; recorded by La Mont West Jr. 1963 210787
"Because I Love You" The Masters Apprentices 1971 320598
"It's Time" Alison MacCallum and others 1972 253356
"True Blue" John Williamson 1986 224765
"Tomorrow" Silverchair 1994 295091
Martin/Molloy Tony Martin and Mick Molloy 1995–1998
"The Absent-Minded Beggar" John J Virgo 1900 2021 1621951
"Where the Dog Sits on the Tuckerbox" Jim Davidson's Dandies and Dick Cranbourne 1938 190972
First parliamentary sitting broadcast: Announcement of Victory in Europe Ben Chifley and Robert Menzies 1945, May 8 81384
"He's My Blonde Headed, Stompie Wompie, Real Gone Surfer Boy" Little Pattie and The Statesmen 1963 315308
"Heading in the Right Direction" The Renée Geyer Band 1975 259069
Gaywaves Gaywaves Collective, 2SER 1979–2005
The Man from Snowy River soundtrack Bruce Rowland 1982 286452
"Wide Open Road" The Triffids 1986 420900
Apology to The Stolen Generations Kevin Rudd 2008, Feb. 13 759728
"Somebody That I Used to Know" Gotye, featuring Kimbra 2011 1064570
Farewell Address to Australia Hallam Lord Tennyson 1904, Jan. 20 2022[16]
"Digger" Jack Lumsdaine 1942 190905
Horrie Dargie Concert The Horrie Dargie Harlequintet 1952 281525
"The Drover’s Dream"[E] Alan Scott and The Bushwhackers 1955 301526
Decimal currency jingle Ted Roberts 1965 205358
"The Lord’s Prayer" Sister Janet Mead 1973 335577
"Stayin' Alive"[B] Bee Gees 1977 322493
Neighbours theme song Barry Crocker 1987 301375
Bicentenary protest coverage Radio Redfern 1988, Jan. 26
Misogyny speech Julia Gillard 2012, Oct. 9
"Anvil Chorus" P.C. Spouse 1927 2023[18] 190551
Sweet Nell of Old Drury Nellie Stewart and others 1931 307950
Death of a Wombat Ivan Smith, author; George S. English, composer; Alastair Duncan, narrator; Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Nicolai Malko 1961 366622
"I Only Came to Say Goodbye" Wilma Reading 1961 315918
"The Loved One" The Loved Ones 1966 798901
"Howzat" Sherbet 1976 314105
"Menstruation Blues" Robyn Archer 1977 139169
Harry Williams and the Country Outcasts Harry and Wilga Williams and the Country Outcasts 1979 235611
"Slip! Slop! Slap!" jingle Peter Best and Phillip Adams; Cancer Council Victoria 1981
"I Am Australian" Judith Durham, Russell Hitchcock, and Mandawuy Yunupingu 1997 321473
Concerto of the Greater Sea Joseph Tawadros; Australian Chamber Orchestra 2012 1053312
Address to the Women's International Radio League Jessie Street 1945, May 28 2024[19][20]
Speaking Clock Gordon Gow and the Postmaster-General's Department 1954
Doctor Who theme Ron Grainer, composer; Delia Derbyshire, musician and arranger 1963
Victoria Bitter advertisements John Meillon, George Patterson Agency 1968
Jimmie Barker collections Jimmie Barker 1968–1972
Earliest 2EA broadcasts in language SBS Radio 1975, Jun.–Aug.
"Kickin' to the Undersound" Sound Unlimited 1992
"Chains" Tina Arena 1994
Last call of the Christmas Island pipistrelle Zoos Victoria 2009, Aug. 26
Inaugural speech to Australian Parliament Nova Peris 2013, Nov. 12
"You" Marcia Hines 1977 2026[21]
"Shaddap You Face" Joe Dolce Music Theatre 1980
PB/5 pedestrian crossing button David Wood, Louis Challis, Frank Hulscher 1984
Tabaran Not Drowning, Waving and the musicians of Rabaul featuring Telek 1990
"Democracy Manifest" Jack Karlson 1991, Oct. 11
Reading Writing Hotline jingle Peter Sullivan and Steve Goldberg 2001
"Scar" Missy Higgins 2004
Federal Court native title determination at Noonkanbah Station ABC Kimberley 2007, Apr. 27
Australian of the Year acceptance speech Rosie Batty 2015, Jan. 25


Notes

  1. ^ A simulated recording of Australian troops. They are greeted by a brass band playing, "Advance Australia Fair".[10]
  2. ^ a b This recording is also preserved in the American National Recording Registry.
  3. ^ Contemporary articles and archived NFSA webpages suggest either the 1952 race or both races were the original selections;[11][12] the site now only lists the 1941 race.
  4. ^ The NFSA uses the 1980 recording, but lists it by the year of its composition, 1971.
  5. ^ The media release also includes the B-side of the record: "The Drover's Dream"/"The Bullockies' Ball".[17]

Statistics

The most recent recording on the list is the Australian of the Year acceptance speech by domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty in 2015 while the oldest is Percy Herford's 1896 recording "The Hen Convention".[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rosel, Rachael (10 November 2019). "Strewth! The best Aussie songs in The Sounds of Australia Archive". Starts at 60. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Sounds of Australia". Australian Screen Online. 11 November 1975. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. ^ Doyle, Maryanne. "The Hen Convention by Thomas Rome". National Film and Sound Archive. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. ^ Doyle, Maryanne (11 November 1975). "The Hen Convention: Notes". Australian Screen Online. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b c "The complete Sounds of Australia list". National Film and Sound Archive. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Cylinder Recordings from Central Australia by Spencer and Gillen and Aboriginal communities (1901)". National Film and Sound Archive. 4 November 2019. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  7. ^ Martin, Amy (7 November 2019). "National Film and Sound Archive adds Olivia Newton-John and John Farnham to Sounds of Australia registry". Canberra Times. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  8. ^ "About". National Film and Sound Archive. 9 August 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. ^ Kaeding, Thorsten (20 April 2020). "What are the sounds of Australia?" (Audio). ABC Radio (Overnights) (Interview). Interviewed by Chappell, Trevor. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  10. ^ Byrnes, Paul. "The Landing of the Australian troops in Egypt". National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA). Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  11. ^ "CKylie, the Melbourne Cup and a natural disaster represent aural Australia". Sydney Morning Herald. 18 August 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  12. ^ "Sounds of Australia // National Film and Sound Archive, Australia". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  13. ^ McCabe, Kathy (23 October 2017). "Here are the 10 recordings inducted to the Sounds Of Australia list". News.com.au. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Gurrumul, Powderfinger and Goanna celebrated in this year's Sounds of Australia". NFSA. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  15. ^ Midena, Kate (7 November 2019). "Farnham, Newton-John, Savage Garden make Sounds of Australia archive". The New Daily. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  16. ^ Martin, Amy (12 December 2022). "National Film and Sound Archive announces 2022 additions to Sounds of Australia registry". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  17. ^ "Julia Gillard's misogyny speech, Neighbours theme tune, Bicentenary protests all become Sounds of Australia". National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA). Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  18. ^ Burke, Kelly (13 November 2023). "Sounds of Australia: Slip, Slop, Slap and Menstruation Blues join national archive". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
  19. ^ Cheong, Samantha (11 December 2024). "Tina Arena, Victoria Bitter, 'Doctor Who' & More Added to Sounds of Australia Collection". Variety Australia. Archived from the original on 21 January 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  20. ^ Thrower, Matt. "Sounds of Australia 2024: Inside our Sounds". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Archived from the original on 19 December 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
  21. ^ Burnard, Eleanor (30 March 2026). "'Succulent Chinese meal' speech added to Australia's National Film and Sound Archive". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
  22. ^ Collection - National Registry of Recorded Sound at ASO - Australia's audio and visual heritage online