Sounds of Australia began in 2007 to celebrate sound recordings with cultural, historical and aesthetic significance.
This collection includes the initial foundation list of ten sounds plus an additional ten sounds added the same year.
The foundation list features landmark recordings ('The Hen Convention', 'The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt', 'Tribal Music in Australia', 'Kerr's Cur speech'), famous performers (Dame Nellie Melba and Johnny O'Keefe), iconic songs ('Along the Road to Gundagai' and 'Down Under') and stand-out artists in the history of Australian country music (Buddy Williams) and jazz (Graeme Bell).
Other Sounds of Australia in this collection include: recordings of Tasmanian Aboriginal songs and language, the first rock song in an Aboriginal language and classic punk (The Saints) and pop music (The Easybeats).
Each year, the Australian public nominates new sounds to be added with final selections determined by a panel of industry experts.
See the Complete Sounds of Australia list.
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live and gives respect to their Elders both past and present.