Sounds of Australia 2026 - media release

The National Film and Sound Archive collects sound recordings for inclusion in Australia’s audiovisual archive year-round, creating a continuous record of Australian culture. 

 The NFSA’s work to preserve fragile audio has led to the digitisation of more than 100,000 at-risk works. The complete Sounds of Australia list (1896-2015) is available at nfsa.gov.au/sounds (live from March 31, 2026).

Images and vision available here on Dropbox.  Audio is at nfsa.gov.au/sounds (live March 31).

Released in 1977, ‘You’ became Marcia Hines’ biggest hit, spending 25 weeks on the Australian charts and peaking at no. 2. Written by American songwriter Tom Snow, the song was transformed by Hines’ radiant vocal performance into a soul-pop anthem of love and longing. Its uplifting message and gospel-inflected arrangement struck a chord with audiences and solidified her status as a household name.

Beyond its chart success, ‘You’ remains a landmark recording in the story of Australian music: a symbol of inclusivity, optimism, and the power of great pop. Hines would later be inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame in recognition of her trailblazing influence. As she told the ABC in 2023 ‘that song changed everything.’ At a time when Australian pop was still defining its mainstream identity, ‘You’ confirmed Hines as a major national artist and showed how vocal interpretation could shape the sound — and visibility — of Australian music.

Released in 1981, ‘Shaddap You Face’ became the best-selling single ever produced in Australia, spending 8 weeks at number one and topping charts in 11 countries, including the UK and Germany.

Dolce wrote the song in 1979 and first performed it at a talent night at Marijuana House, Fitzroy, subsequently recording it in 1980 for the Full Moon Records label. The song is driven by comic timing and character. Dolce performs in character, using exaggerated accent and stereotype. While that approach reads differently today, it was widely received at the time as self-aware and affectionate, reflecting multicultural suburban life and working-class humour.

The song’s impact endures through hundreds of cover versions in numerous languages, including Australian Indigenous languages such as this Yindjibarndi language version by Gnarnayarrahe Waitairie. It holds a continued presence in popular culture worldwide where it has become a subversive anti-racist anthem.

The PB/5 pedestrian crossing button reshaped how Australians move through cities and suburbs. Designed by David Wood, Louis Challis and Frank Hulscher, it was created to support pedestrians who are blind or have low vision through sound and touch. 

The locator ‘tick’, vibrating arrow and steady crossing tone are functional, but also instantly recognisable. The PB/5 produces its sound in real time, so this recording serves as a representation of this ubiquitous mechanical element of Australia’s urban soundscape. The device’s success led to its adoption in other countries such as New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, and parts of the USA, and its cultural resonance was further cemented when the distinctive tick was sampled in Billie Eilish’s 2019 hit ‘Bad Guy’.

The title track from the 1990 album Tabaran, this recording brings together Australian band Not Drowning, Waving with musicians from Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, led by singer George Telek. The collaboration began after Telek met David Bridie in 1989, with sessions recorded in Rabaul soon after. Telek sings in Kuanua and Tok Pisin, using the three-part harmonies characteristic of Tolai music. These vocal traditions sit alongside contemporary studio production, creating a recording shaped by shared performance rather than adaptation.

At the ARIA Music Awards of 1992, the album was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release and helped introduce Telek — already an established figure in Papua New Guinea — to wider international audiences. ‘Tabaran’ remains a key example of regional collaboration in Australian recording history, capturing language, musical practice and partnership across the Asia–Pacific.

In 1991, police arrested Jack Karlson at a Brisbane Chinese restaurant while television cameras were present. Karlson welcomed the spotlight and began to recite now iconic, much-memed phrases: ‘Gentleman! This is democracy manifest!’ and ‘What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?’ Karlson speaks with theatrical precision, shifting between mock outrage and formal oratory.

Uploaded to YouTube in 2009, the footage was quoted, remixed and shared globally. Karlson’s words became shorthand for irreverent Australian humour, demonstrating how voice and performance can transform an everyday news event into a lasting piece of cultural folklore. Jack Karlson passed away in 2024, but the legacy of his impassioned plea for justice lives on.

First launched in the 1990s to support the ABC’s Reading Writing Roadshow, the Reading Writing Hotline paired a practical service with a tune you couldn’t shake. The 2001 version became the one most Australians know, running for years as a community service ad. The original Hotline brief, which was awarded to ‘Life. Be in it’ Communications, identified that more than a million adult Australians whose first language was English were unable to read and write well enough to handle everyday tasks.

The jingle was written by Steve Goldberg to help potential clients to remember the phone number; the music was composed by Peter Sullivan. It has been playing on TVs and radios across Australia for more than 30 years. While several iterations of the jingle have existed, this recording from 2001 featuring vocalist Andrew Lea is widely considered to be the most recognisable.

When ‘Scar’ hit Australian airwaves in 2004, it did more than launch the career of a promising young singer-songwriter: it became an instant classic that defined an era of local pop. Released as the lead single from Missy Higgins’ debut album The Sound of White, ‘Scar’ shot to number one on the ARIA Singles Charts and stayed in the top 40 for 23 consecutive weeks – remarkable for a confessional, self-penned track in a market then dominated by glossy international pop.

The single went platinum and, along with her multiplatinum album, earned Higgins five ARIA Awards including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year. Co-written by Kevin Griffin, ‘Scar’ stood out for its conversational lyrics and Higgins’ authentic vocal delivery. Its massive radio play signalled a renewed appetite for homegrown indie songwriting – helping to pave the way for a new generation of Australian solo singer-songwriters. Twenty years later, ‘Scar’ resonates as a defining moment for Missy Higgins and Australian pop music writ large.

On 27 April 2007, the Federal Court recognised the Yungngora people’s native title over Noonkanbah Station in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.  marking the culmination of a struggle that spanned decades, spearheaded by Yungngora Elder Mr D. Cox. The proceedings, presided over by Justice Robert French, were aired on ABC Kimberley’s Mornings program, hosted by Vanessa Mills in an outside broadcast beside the old Noonkanbah woolshed.

The recording includes speeches by Mr. D. Cox and Fred Chaney OA, and a performance by MP and country music singer Ernie Bridge OAM. It was the first time a native title determination was broadcast live on radio, capturing not only the formal legal proceedings but also the emotional responses of the community – songs, speeches, and the palpable sense of justice long awaited.  The audio recording stands as a testament to the power of broadcasting to bring pivotal moments of Indigenous recognition and reconciliation into the public consciousness, marking a significant chapter in the journey towards acknowledging and respecting Aboriginal land rights.

In 2015, Rosie Batty was named Australian of the Year following her advocacy after the murder of her son, Luke. Her acceptance speech addresses the nation directly, combining personal experience with a clear call for accountability and change.

Broadcast nationally and shared widely online, the speech became a reference point for public discussion. It amplified survivor voices and contributed to a broader shift in awareness, policy attention and media coverage, framing domestic and family violence as a national responsibility rather than a private tragedy.

Preserved as audio, the recording captures a moment when speech itself shaped national conversation — demonstrating how testimony can operate as civic action and influence collective understanding.

Media enquiries and interview requests:

Louise Alley | Communications Manager | 0422 348 652 | louise.alley@nfsa.gov.au