National Film and Sound Archive’s 2026 Sounds of Australia collection additions
Consensus Summary
The National Film and Sound Archive’s 2026 Sounds of Australia collection highlights nine significant audio recordings that reflect Australia’s cultural and historical landscape. Central to the story is Jack Karlson’s 1991 arrest speech outside a Brisbane Chinese restaurant, which became a viral meme and is now preserved alongside other iconic sounds like the PB/5 pedestrian crossing button, Missy Higgins’s 2004 hit 'Scar,' and Joe Dolce’s 1981 comedy song 'Shaddap Your Face.' The collection, launched in 2007, is curated through public nominations and expert panels, focusing on recordings over a decade old that hold cultural or historical significance. Both sources emphasize the diversity of the collection, including music, speeches, and everyday sounds like the Reading Writing Hotline jingle and the 2007 Native Title Determination broadcast. While both articles agree on key inclusions, details like the specific context of certain recordings or the duration of chart success vary. The NFSA’s efforts to digitize and preserve over 300,000 audio items underscore its role in documenting Australia’s rich auditory heritage.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Jack Karlson’s 1991 arrest speech ('Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest! ... What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?') was added to the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection in 2026.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes nine audio recordings added in 2026, including Jack Karlson’s speech, the PB/5 pedestrian crossing button sound, and Missy Higgins’s 2004 hit 'Scar'.
- The collection was launched in 2007 and is designed to reflect life in Australia through culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant sounds.
- Public nominations are considered by a panel of NFSA sound experts for inclusion, with recordings required to be more than 10 years old.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection now contains over 200 recordings as of 2026.
- Joe Dolce’s 1981 song 'Shaddap Your Face' was added to the Sounds of Australia collection in 2026.
- The 2001 Reading Writing Hotline jingle was included in the 2026 Sounds of Australia collection.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 2007 federal court’s Native Title Determination at Noonkanbah Station broadcast.
- The collection features Marcia Hines’s 1977 song 'You,' which peaked at number 2 on the Australian charts.
- The PB/5 pedestrian crossing button sound was sampled in Billie Eilish’s 2019 song 'Bad Guy'.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The NFSA assistant curator Hannah de Feyter stated that the collection is 'a fantastic rabbit hole you can go down' and highlights the variety of recorded sound in Australia's history.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes Rosie Batty’s 2015 Australian of the Year speech and the jingle from the Reading Writing Hotline.
- The NFSA’s collection includes the 1990 song 'Tabaran' by Not Drowning, Waving and George Telek, which was nominated for the ARIA Award for Best Indigenous Release in 1992.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 2007 Native Title Determination at Noonkanbah Station broadcast from ABC Kimberley.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection now has over 200 recordings after this year's edition, with a new website for discovery.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 1981 song 'Shaddap Your Face' by Joe Dolce, described as a comedy song but also highlighting his career as a poet and activist.
- The NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 2004 hit 'Scar' by Missy Higgins, which she wrote about trusting one’s instincts, and it stayed in the ARIA Singles Charts top 40 for 23 weeks.
- The Guardian notes that Karlson achieved global internet stardom when a 1991 7NEWS report of his arrest went viral on YouTube, including his line 'Get your hand off my penis!'
- The Guardian mentions that Rosie Batty’s 2015 Australian of the Year speech is dedicated to her son Luke, who was murdered by his father.
- The Guardian states that the NFSA chief curator Meagan Loader said the collection reflects 'all Australians' and their diverse reference points.
- The Guardian notes that more than 300,000 audio items are housed in the NFSA, with one-third of the collection classified as at-risk and preserved through digitisation.
- 'Scar' by Missy Higgins was recently voted fourth-best in Triple J’s Hottest 100 of Australian songs in 2025, according to the Guardian.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC mentions the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 2007 Native Title Determination at Noonkanbah Station broadcast from ABC Kimberley, while the Guardian does not specify the source of the broadcast.
- ABC states the collection includes the 1990 song 'Tabaran' by Not Drowning, Waving and George Telek, but the Guardian does not mention this song specifically.
- ABC highlights the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 2004 hit 'Scar' by Missy Higgins, which stayed in the ARIA Singles Charts top 40 for 23 weeks, while the Guardian does not mention the duration of its chart presence.
- ABC notes the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 1981 song 'Shaddap Your Face' by Joe Dolce, described as a comedy song but also highlighting his career as a poet and activist, while the Guardian does not provide this level of detail about Dolce’s career.
- The Guardian mentions that the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection includes the 2001 Reading Writing Hotline jingle, but ABC does not specify the year of the jingle’s creation in the same detail.
Source Articles
'A succulent Chinese meal?': These are the 2026 Sounds of Australia
A variety of iconic Australian recordings are added to the Sounds of Australia collection, as part of an annual update by the National Film and Sound Archive....
‘Succulent Chinese meal’ speech added to Australia’s National Film and Sound Archive
Jack Karlson’s rallying cry of ‘democracy manifest’ added to national collection of sound recordings that hold historical, cultural and aesthetic significance Get our breaking news email , free app or...