Tina Arena, Victoria Bitter, ‘Doctor Who’ & More Added to Sounds of Australia Collection

Ten culturally significant recordings have been added to the National Film & Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia collection.  

The one-of-a-kind collection of historically memorable sounds are considered to capture Australian life. The public nominated recordings are at least a decade old, and are then elected by a panel of industry and NFSA experts.

Tina Arena‘s song “Chains” from 1994, the Victoria Bitter Ad voiced by John Meillon, the 1963 electronic “Doctor Who” Theme and Labour Senator Nova Peris’ 2013 speech defending Indigenous rights are among the latest additions.

Previously, the collection included the last known recording of the recently extinct microbat species the Christmas Island pipistrelle, the earliest in-language broadcast from the most diverse radio network in Australia and Sydney’s vocal time announcement service from 1954.

‘These new additions to the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia capsule, ranging from landmark speeches to iconic theme music, from enduring pop to the sad, final call of a now-extinct species, are collectively a testament to the power of audio,” said Meagan Loader, the NFSA’s Chief Curator.

“It’s very meaningful to be able to preserve this diversity of content so that future generations will be able to understand and appreciate the sounds and their stories that resonated with Australians in 2024.”

Sounds of Australia was established in 2007, which has accumulated into preserving more than 100,000 at-risk recordings.

The complete Sounds of Australia list (1896-2013) is available at nfsa.gov.au/sounds from Wednesday, December 11th. Check out all new additions below:

2024 Sounds of Australia Additions

1. Women’s status in the United Nations Charter: an address to the first meeting of the Women’s International Radio League, Jessie Street – 1945
2. Speaking clock, Gordon Gow (Postmaster General’s Department) – 1954
3. “Doctor Who” theme music, Ron Grainer (composer), Delia Derbyshire (musician) – 1963
4. Victoria Bitter ad, John Meillon (voice), George Patterson (agency), for Carlton & United Breweries – 1968
5. Jimmie Barker Collections, Jimmie Barker – 1972
6. The earliest 2EA (now SBS Audio) broadcast recordings in language – 1975
7. “Kickin’ to the Undersound”, Sound Unlimited – 1992
8. “Chains”, Tina Arena – 1994
9. Last call of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus murrayi) – 2009
10. Nova Peris’ inaugural speech to Australian Parliament – 2013