Australian National Anthem - Advance Australia Fair

• 1. formerly "young"

• For we are one1 and free:

  The word "young" was changed to "one" on 1 January 2021 to honour and recognise Indigenous Australians (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people), because while Federation (Australia's independence from the United Kingdom) only occurred in 1901 (and the First Fleet, the first European settlers in Australia (i.e the British and Irish convicts), arrived in Sydney in 1788), Indigenous Australians have inhabited the Australian continent and its nearby islands (including Tasmania and some other islands, but not including the external territories) for at least 60,000 years prior to foreign arrivals and discoveries, and practice what is widely regarded as the oldest continuing culture in the world.

  The idea to change the wording was popularised by then-New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who proposed the change in December 2020. The change received bipartisan support and then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the change would take affect from 1 January 2021 after receiving approval from Governor General David Hurley.

• girt:

  The phrase "girt by sea" means "surrounded by sea"

• Of beauty rich and rare,:

  Australia has unique fauna and flora that does not exist anywhere else in the world.

• Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,:

  The Southern Cross is a star constellation that can be seen every night over the Southern Hemisphere, including in Australia. The Southern Cross appears on the flags of Australia 🇦🇺, New Zealand 🇳🇿, Papua New Guinea 🇵🇬, Samoa 🇼🇸, Christmas Island 🇨🇽, the Cocos (Keeling) Islands 🇨🇨, Tokelau 🇹🇰, Brazil 🇧🇷 and Micronesia 🇫🇲.

• To make this Commonwealth of ours:

  Australia is a Commonwealth country

• For those who've come across the seas:

  Many Australians are foreign-born, with immigrants making up a large percentage of the country.

• We've boundless plains to share,:

  Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, so there is lots of space to share.

Submitted by SilentRebel83 on 2012-11-07

Last edited by maluca on 2020-12-31