“It’s become a kind of anthem,” Julia Gillard said of her famous evisceration of Tony Abbott in 2012
Julia Gillard’s famous misogyny speech is among the ten pieces of iconic audio added to Sounds of Australia’s annual registry. The audio catalogue, managed by the National Film and Sound Archives, revealed the ten entries into the 2022 registry yesterday (December 13), with Gillard occupying the list alongside the Neighbours theme song and musical group Bee Gees, among others.
The former PM made the now-famous speech in 2012, when she eviscerated former opposition leader Tony Abbott during a parliamentary sitting. The speech featured notable pull-lines like “I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man” and “not now, not ever.” The speech has remained culturally relevant in the 10 years since it was first delivered, culminating in the Sound Archives’ addition yesterday.
The inclusion of a piece of audio into the registry is based on whether the sound has had a defining impact on Australian culture. Reacting to the lasting relevance of her speech — which enjoyed renewed attention as a viral social media trend in 2020 — Gillard said “it’s become a kind of anthem.” The former prime minister continued: “[It’s] a kind of track that people go to when they want to pump themselves up. I knew that it was a weighty speech, but I had no inkling it was going to travel beyond the parliament the way it has.”
@minorfauna After multiple requests, I bring you my take on the ICONIC ‘Misogyny’ speech by Julia Gillard with a #glambot twist. #bosschallenge #quarantine ♬ original sound – minorfauna
The speech — which follows Kevin Rudd’s famous 2008 apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples in being added to the archive — occupies the tenth spot on the registry’s 2022 entries. Two places behind Gillard is the theme song of the popular Australian soap opera, Neighbours. The title theme was composed by Barry Crocker, who created it within 30 minutes. It would serve as the show’s theme song for every episode that aired between 1985 to 1992.
Other highlights on the list include the Bee Gee’s song Stayin’ Alive and Janet Mead’s rock version of The Lord’s Prayer, first released in 1974. Fellow 2022 inductees include singer Jack Lumsdaine, composer Ted Roberts and the coverage of the 1988 Bicentenary protests by Radio Redfern. Neighbours’ addition to the archives follows news of its cancellation, and prompt revival, earlier this year.
