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NFSA Adds Viral Arrest Speech to Sounds of Australia

3/30/2026

29 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) added Jack Karlson's 1991 arrest speech to the Sounds of Australia collection.
His declaration, "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!" became a viral sensation.
This year the collection also includes Rosie Batty’s 2015 Australian of the Year acceptance speech and the PB/5 Pedestrian Crossing Signal.
Public nominations contribute to the collection.
The NFSA preserves over 300,000 audio items.

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Story summary

The National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) added Jack Karlson's 1991 arrest speech to the Sounds of Australia collection.
His declaration, "Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest!" became a viral sensation.
This year the collection also includes Rosie Batty’s 2015 Australian of the Year acceptance speech and the PB/5 Pedestrian Crossing Signal.
Public nominations contribute to the collection.
The NFSA preserves over 300,000 audio items.