Sounds of Australia

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.

Notes

1. ^ A simulated recording of Australian troops. They are greeted by a brass band playing, "Advance Australia Fair".^[20]
2. ^ 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;^[21][22] 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".^[23]

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".^[19]

See also

• National Recording Registry
• Culture of Australia

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. ^ "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. ^ "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). Retrieved 12 August 2020.
10. ^ "Sounds of Australia: Songs by Midnight Oil, Christine Anu, The Wiggles among new inductees". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2026.
11. ^ McCabe, Kathy (23 October 2017). "Here are the 10 recordings inducted to the Sounds Of Australia list". News.com.au. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
12. ^ "Gurrumul, Powderfinger and Goanna celebrated in this year's Sounds of Australia". NFSA. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
13. ^ Midena, Kate (7 November 2019). "Farnham, Newton-John, Savage Garden make Sounds of Australia archive". The New Daily. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
14. ^ 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.
15. ^ Burke, Kelly (13 November 2023). "Sounds of Australia: Slip, Slop, Slap and Menstruation Blues join national archive". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
16. ^ Cheong, Samantha (11 December 2024). "Tina Arena, Victoria Bitter, ‘Doctor Who’ & More Added to Sounds of Australia Collection". Variety Australia. Archived 21 January 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
17. ^ Thrower, Matt. "Sounds of Australia 2024: Inside our Sounds". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Archived 19 December 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
18. ^ Burnard, Eleanor (30 March 2026). "‘Succulent Chinese meal’ speech added to Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
19. ^ Collection - National Registry of Recorded Sound at ASO - Australia's audio and visual heritage online
20. ^ Byrnes, Paul. "The Landing of the Australian troops in Egypt". National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA). Retrieved 13 August 2020.
21. ^ "CKylie, the Melbourne Cup and a natural disaster represent aural Australia". Sydney Morning Herald. 18 August 2011. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
22. ^ "Sounds of Australia // National Film and Sound Archive, Australia". Archived 24 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
23. ^ "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.

External links

• Official website