The music played by the Mr Whippy ice cream van, the hit song ‘Down Under’, and our iconic Aussie bird, the Kookaburra all have something in common. They are some of the sounds that best represent Australia, according to new research from Hearing Australia, which canvassed what sounds and songs evoke childhood memories, signify ‘home’ and capture the essence of Australia.
Hearing Australia commissioned the YouGov survey to determine the importance of sound and music to Australians. For those who live in regional areas, those sounds include Kookaburras laughing (which tops the list at 76 per cent), with half of respondents saying the sound of the didgeridoo and 46 per cent saying that magpies and cockatoos squawking best represent Australia. And for more than a third of regional residents, it’s the inviting sound of the Mr Whippy ice cream van that’s one of our favourite childhood sounds (36 per cent). For over a quarter of respondents, the sound of the barbecue sizzling is a much-loved sound.
“Sound is very powerful,” Principal Audiologist with Hearing Australia Emma Scanlan said.
“It connects us to people and to places. The sounds we hear can evoke different moods and feelings and remind us of experiences that we associate with those sounds. Sound – particularly music – is one of the known triggers of memories and emotions.
“That’s why keeping your hearing in great shape is so important. Healthy hearing is a big part of life.”
According to a survey that Hearing Australia ran in January this year, three of the sounds that Australians say they’ll miss most if they had difficultly hearing are music, the sounds of nature and their partner’s or loved one’s voices.
