The National Film Sound Archive (NFSA) has announced its annual capsule of 10 iconic audio moments. This is an outstanding recording that “captures the soundtrack of our nation” and deserves special attention in the collection.
Established in 2007 and selected by a panel of audio experts, the Sounds of Australia Capsule recognizes recordings that have resonated deeply with communities and audiences.
The sounds chosen for 2024 include Tina Arena’s 1994 soulful ballad Chains, the haunting electronic Doctor Who theme composed by Australian composer Ron Greiner, and the first Aboriginal Includes Nova Peris’ first speech to Congress in 2013, a woman who left her mark on history. Congress. There are also talking clocks and the sounds of extinct microbats.
NFSA’s 10 Sounds of Australia in 2024
Doctor Who Theme, 1963
One of the most iconic television scores of all time, with its pulsating bassline, was written by Australian composer Ron Greiner. First recorded in 1963 (by British musician Delia Derbyshire) and considered to be the first electronic music theme for television, Greiner’s melody remains intact and is used to this day. Listen here.
Nova Peris’s Congressional Speech, 2013
In 1996, Nova Peris became the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander to win an Olympic gold medal as part of the women’s field hockey team. In 2013, she became the first Aboriginal woman to be elected to Parliament. In his first speech, Perris spoke passionately about his people’s struggle, declaring that he would “immediately” relinquish his honor to see Indigenous Australians free, healthy and able to participate fully in the country’s destiny. Watch the speech here.
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Tina Arena’s “Chains”, 1994
“Chains”, the lead single from her second solo studio album, Don’t Ask, was released in August 1994 and was a career-defining moment for the Italian-Australian singer. It was also one of the first songs the young pop star wrote. The song peaked at number 4 on the Australian charts, but also broke internationally and remains one of the singer’s most popular hits.
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Talking Clock, 1954
How did Australians tell the time before internet-connected devices kept us on schedule? Call Speaking Clock, accessible on your old-fashioned phone.
“Kickin’ to the Undersound” by Sound Unlimited (1992)
Sound Unlimited’s “Kickin’ to the Undersound” (1992) was the first Australian hip hop song to reach the top 20 of the Australian charts. Members of the group included brother and sister Lozano (El Assassin) and Tina Martinez, MCs Code Blue and Vlad DJ BTL. The lyrics incorporate the group’s Western Sydney roots and Spanish, Filipino and Russian traditions.
Oldest 2EA broadcast (1975): SBS Radio
The first language broadcasts on 2EA (then SBS Radio, now SBS Audio) included programming in Arabic, Greek, Italian, Maltese, Spanish and Yugoslav, making it one of the most diverse programs on Australian radio. It represents the birth of linguistic and multicultural broadcasting.
Jimmy Barker Collection (1968–1972): Jimmy Barker
Murrawarri man Jimmy Barker is known as the first Indigenous Australian to use recorded audio as a tool to preserve and record Aboriginal culture. His pioneering research produced over 100 hours of audio recordings, now archived by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research.
The Last Call of the Christmas Island Apistrel (2009)
Have you ever heard of the Christmas Island Apistrel? This tiny microbat weighs just 3 grams, its scientific name is Pipistrellus murayi, and it was once found only on Christmas Island. Unfortunately, it was declared extinct in 2017, but its voice can still be heard in the NFSA collection.
Victoria Bitter Advertisement (1968): John Mayron (dubbing), George Patterson (agency)
The ad for Carlton & United Breweries’ Victoria Bitter, a “big cold beer”, voiced by Australian actor John Mayron (The Car That Ate Paris, Crocodile Dundee) is definitely a hit. Australia’s most iconic beer commercial.
The Status of Women in the Charter of the United Nations (1945): Jessie Street
Jessie Street was a leading Australian feminist campaigner and the only female Australian delegate to the United Nations at its founding in San Francisco in 1945. Street and the Australian Women’s Charter Committee successfully advocated for the principle of equality of status between men and women to be included in the UN Charter. Women and men can listen to her speech here.
For more information on Sounds of Australia 2024, visit NFSA.
