Public nominations are now open for additions to the National Film and Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia registry, which reflects the power of audio to inform and shape Australian culture.
Popular music, advertising themes, spoken word, radio broadcasts and any sound recordings are all eligible, as long as they’re Australian and more than ten years old.
The Sounds of Australia registry was established in 2007 (the full list here). The NFSA selects Sounds on the strength of their cultural, historical and aesthetic relevance, and their ability to inform or reflect life in Australia.
The 2022 Sounds of Australia, in chronological order, were:
- Farewell address, Hallam Lord Tennyson – 1904
- Digger, Jack Lumsdaine – 1942
- Horrie Dargie Concert, The Horrie Dargie Harlequintet – 1952
- The Drover’s Dream, The Bullockies’ Ball, The Bushwhackers – 1956
- Out with the old and in with the new [decimal currency jingle], Ted Roberts (lyricist) – 1965
- The Lord’s Prayer, Sister Janet Mead – 1973
- Stayin’ Alive, The Bee Gees – 1977
- Neighbours theme song, Barry Crocker (Tony Hatch and Jackie Trent) – 1987
- Bicentenary protest coverage, Radio Redfern – 1988
- The Misogyny speech, Julia Gillard – 2012
You can nominate here for the 2023 Sounds of Australia with nominations closing on July 17. The ten new additions will be announced in November.
How about this as a nomination suggestion?