Foundation List - the first 10

Image: 1890s recording studio. Thomas Rome Collection. Courtesy the Arts Centre, Performing Arts Collection, Melbourne.

1896 - The Hen Convention  (NFSA Catalogue No. 452097)

The earliest known Australian recording, made by Dr Thomas Rome of a novelty song featuring imitations of a chook sung by J.J. Villiers, a Warrnambool businessman who had a display stand at the Warrnambool exhibition. He appeared in amateur theatrical presentations for many years acting as a performer scenic painter and decorator as far back as 1872. This recording is known to have been made prior to 15th January 1897 at the Warnambool Industrial and Art Exhibition on an Edison cylinder recorder.

Image: Dame Nellie Melba making her famous broadcast in 1920. Courtesy of Bodleian Library, Oxford.

1904 - Chant Venitien (Gramophone 'Melba' Record GC3575) (NFSA Catalogue No. 301462)

Nellie Melba's first commercial recording sessions for the Gramophone Co in London, 20 October, 1904. The accompanist was Herman (sometimes Henri) Bemberg. Melba's success and popularity highlights the impact of the gramophone in bringing great music into the homes of ordinary people.

Image: The landing of Australian troops in Egypt (AWM Collections Search CO 2588)

1915 - The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt (Zonophone 3068)   (NFSA Catalogue No. 229760)

This includes what is probably the first recording of Advance Australia Fair and is a fascinating concoction of a recording, probably made in London sometime after the Australians landed at Gallipoli. As a seminal recording of the song that was to become our national anthem, and also an early example of the use of sound recording for the dramatisation of historic events, this little known recording is a hidden gem in the NFSA's collection.

Image: Peter Dawson

1921/1931 - Along the Road to Gundagai (HMV EA 889)  (NFSA Catalogue No. 332353)

Along the Road to Gundagai was written by Jack O'Hagan in 1921 and recorded by Peter Dawson in 1931. O'Hagan was a major Australian songwriter between the wars and this recording of his most famous song recorded by the most popular Australian singer of the day remains instantly recognisable.

Image: Courtesy of the Williams family.

1939 - Give A Little Credit To Your Dad; Lonesome For You Mother Dear (Regal Zonophone G 23855) (NFSA Catalogue No. 190438)

Two songs from Buddy Williams' first recording session on 7 September, 1939. Williams was the first Australian-born country singer to write and record songs with a distinctive Australian flavour. Commencing his recording career at age 21 with the Regal Zonophone Co. Buddy continued to make records until shortly before his death in 1986. Australia has taken country music to its heart, and the Australian flavour of our contemporary country music now belies its American origins.

 Listen to Lonesome For You Mother Dear

Image: Graeme Bell with his Dixieland band

1944 - Swanston St Shamble; Two Day Jag (Ampersand 2) (NFSA Catalogue No. 232811)

Graeme Bell's Dixieland Band first published recording made in Melbourne in 1944. Graeme Bell has been a central figure in Australian jazz for over 60 years and these historic recordings mark his first commercially released tracks made three years before his ground-breaking tours to Europe in the late 40s.

 to Swanston St Shamble

 to Two Day Jag

Image: AP Elkin. Courtesy of the University of Sydney

 1953 - Tribal Music of Australia (Folkways FE4439) (NFSA Catalogue No. 242999)

The first available LP recording of traditional Aboriginal music, released by the well known Ethnic Folkways label in America from recordings made by AP Elkin. While the music is of ongoing musicological interest, little regard was given at the time to cultural sensitivities regarding ownership and who has the rights to listen to this music. The Archive now consults with the traditional owners to obtain clearance to make it publicly available

Image: Johnny O'Keefe on stage in 1959 with his band and The Delltones

1960 - She's My Baby/Own True Self (Leedon/Lee Gordon LS 582) (NFSA Catalogue No. 291386)

The first Number 1 hit for Australia's first big pop star, Johnny O'Keefe. His success as a home grown rock'n'roll star owed much to the American connections he enjoyed through his association with concert promoter Lee Gordon. American Scotty Turner (aka Graham Turnbull), one of the song's co-writers, played the newly written song to O'Keefe while on tour of Australia, and O'Keefe recorded the song in the USA in 1959 with Barney Kessell playing rhythm guitar.

Gough Whitlam on the steps of Parliament House, 11 November, 1975

1975 - Gough Whitlam's 'Kerr's cur' speech on the steps of Parliament House on 11 November, 1975 (NFSA Catalogue No. 156392

This was recorded on the steps of Parliament House on 11 November, 1975. The events of this day are significant enough in themselves, but it is Whitlam's rhetorical brilliance, dramatic flair and outraged passion that set this recording apart from the many other important political and historic speeches and announcements preserved as sound recordings. Press photographs of the moment show at least seven microphones recording Sir David Smith and Gough Whitlam, so it is just about impossible to know exactly where this recording actually came from

Image:Men at Work. CBS Records publicity
1981

1981 - Down Under/Crazy (CBS BA 222891) (NFSA Catalogue No. 337398)

Men At Work's song has become an Australian icon recognised internationally, described in Wikipedia as an "unofficial national anthem". While popular as a nationalistic sing-along Men at Work front-man Colin Hay describes the lyric as being "about the selling of Australia" (the chorus ironically refers to a land where "men plunder"). The record was a number one single in Australia, the UK and the USA, making Men At Work one of only five artists to achieve simultaneous number one chart success in both Britain and America.