First 10 Australian songs inducted into the National Songbook after ‘very robust’ judging

Australia’s National Songbook has launched with ten songs recognised for their influence on the country’s cultural identity. The digital archive, created by the National Film and Sound Archive and Apra Amcos, is intended to grow each year and preserve songs that have shaped Australian life.

An 11-member panel selected the songs after what the archive’s chief curator described as a “very robust” discussion. The list spans from “Waltzing Matilda”, written in 1895, to the Presets’ 2008 protest song “My People”; it also includes Yothu Yindi’s “Treaty”, Midnight Oil’s “Beds Are Burning”, Helen Reddy’s “I Am Woman”, and Ruby Hunter’s “Down City Streets”. The article notes that the list is not definitive and aims to reflect a range of Australians and experiences.