Midnight Oil’s “Beds Are Burning”, Yothu Yindi’s “Treaty” and Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman” are among the first 10 songs inducted into Australia’s National Songbook, a digital archive celebrating music that has shaped the country’s cultural identity.
The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and music rights organisation APRA AMCOS launched the project in Canberra on Wednesday night. An 11-member panel of music experts selected the inaugural songs, with NFSA chief curator Meagan Loader describing the judging process as a “very robust conversation”.
The selection spans more than a century, from “Waltzing Matilda”, written by Banjo Paterson in 1895 and represented by a 1927 recording, to the Presets’ “My People”. It also includes the Easybeats’ “Friday on My Mind”, Ruby Hunter’s “Down City Streets”, Neil Murray’s “My Island Home”, Peter Sculthorpe’s “Earth Cry” and the Necks’ score for the film “The Boys”.
The panel recognised “Treaty” as a landmark protest song. Written in 1990 by members of Yothu Yindi alongside Paul Kelly, it has been heard at gatherings ranging from protests to dancefloors. Kelly said the song developed through contributions from many people and described treaty-making across the country as ongoing work involving “many hands”.
Other selections were recognised for their storytelling and cultural resonance. Hunter’s “Down City Streets” addresses displacement and the Stolen Generations, while “I Am Woman” was honoured as a feminist anthem. “My People”, released in 2008 according to the article’s account, was described by the panel as a protest song about the treatment of asylum seekers.
The archive will expand each year, with a new panel choosing 10 additional songs. Eligible works must have been written or co-written by an Australian APRA member, be at least 10 years old and have a demonstrable cultural impact.
Sources: The Guardian World.