Credit: Seven Network

The incredible and memorable monologue unleashed by Jack Karlson during his arrest in Brisbane in 1991 was captured by a TV news crew from the Seven Network.

The forgotten footage was rediscovered and uploaded to YouTube in 2009, quickly becoming a viral sensation, a blog post on the NFSA website recounts.

The video clip captures the moment Mr Karlson is told he is under arrest, prompting his bold declaration: “I’m under what? Gentlemen, this is democracy manifest.”

He continues: “Why did you do this to me? For what reason? What is the charge? Eating a meal? A succulent Chinese meal?”

Mr Karlson’s identity was long unknown and his theatrical and formal mode of speech prompted many theories, before he was identified as a small-time criminal and former actor shortly before he passed away in 2024.

The audio recording of his arrest is one of nine clips which have been inducted into the NFSA’s Sounds of Australia collection, established almost two decades ago.

Patrick McIntyre, CEO of the NFSA, said: “The Sounds of Australia capture audio moments of creativity, Australian identity and everyday life that resonate across generations.”