It was first officially proposed in 1974 to replace “God Save the Queen,” which had been the national anthem from 1788 to 1974 and which, in 1984, was designated the royal anthem, to be played at public appearances of members of the British royal family. Asked which lyrics he did not agree with, he singled out “the idea that Australia is young and free … when Indigenous people are some of the most incarcerated people on the face of the earth”. "If the change that we're looking for is about showing respect and recognition, then before we jump to an end solution or result, let's work through what that means. Again, something that can be easily changed to include all Australians and there is a carry on from the perpetually offended whites. "It's not something that has been there for hundreds of years, this demonstrates that there is no reason that it can't change again," said Mr Haskett. Just one word: The Quicky explores Australia's anthem problem. We have a proud First Nations culture and continuing culture here in Australia, that one word might make a difference to some people. Now, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has expressed her support for changing that one word: 'young'. Why we should not change the date. Mundine said the reaction of outrage and offense over just one word is telling. The Australian National Anthem is an important national symbol of Australia and should be treated with respect and dignity. We have known for a long time that not all Australians feel represented by the national anthem, but stating so comes with a risk. Commentator Peta Credlin says any change to Australia’s national anthem needs to be led by the Australian public, not politicians. “And our place in Australia as the first people of Australia, being here for 60,000-plus years.”. Before 1984, Australia's national anthem 'Advance Australia Fair' started with the line: "Australian sons, let us rejoice.". All Australians are encouraged to sing the Australian National Anthem and these protocols are to assist you when singing or performing the Anthem at a ceremony or public event. pic.twitter.com/7uKrkJnNXc. Last month I was invited by the AFL to sing Advance Australia … Very large text size. Next month marks 36 years since ‘Advance Australia Affair’ was adopted as the official national anthem of Australia, replacing ‘God Save The Queen’ and beating out ‘The Song Of Australia‘, one of the few notable things to come from my hometown. Cannon-Brookes said he had changed his mind about the anthem after watching Briggs’s video. Advance Australia Fair is no dancefloor banging Hey Ya, Ben Pobjie writes. Pauline Hanson used the same "kick up the backside" line. Waltzing Matilda is best. pic.twitter.com/1M6o7AWIxb. On Monday night Briggs dismissed the backlash, saying he tried to push himself out of his comfort zone because “change doesn’t come from being comfortable”. "Someone needs to give this girl a bit of a lesson. A growing number of athletes are using their celebrity status to speak out on social issues. Australia is no longer a country that acts as part of the British Empire. Post continues below video. The most famou… The same proclamation made "Advance Australia Fair" the national anthem and the basis for the "Vice-Regal Salute" (the first four and last two bars of the anthem). #QandA pic.twitter.com/2OacxSEndy. “It’s about acknowledgment for Indigenous people,” he said. A change… Substituting “one” for “young” in the opening couplet of Advance Australia Fair is the right thing, and it’s not a big ask. The basic reason why we should change the Australian Flag is that the flag no longer represents what Australia is and what Australia wants to be. Mundine said changing the word 'young' is a starting point, but it wasn't a magical fix. “I always get the kickback,” he said. It is what great art should do, it made you think about it and it changed my opinion. I know it, you know it, and on the increasing rare occasions that our Olympians win gold medals the rest of the world knows it too. “No, we should not change our national anthem.” – Joy Anne “All national anthems are a bit silly. If you're not already a Mamamia member, sign up (it's easy, we promise). Words are important. AUSTRALIA has a terrible national anthem. The Australian public is not attached to the national anthem because it is only 35 years old and the “song’s just not that good”, the Indigenous rapper Briggs has said. Why one tiny change would advance our anthem Changing just one word of Advance Australia Fair will mean a lot — and it will preserve our traditional and conservative anthem… The video was prompted by the news a group of Indigenous rugby league players would not sing the anthem at last week’s State of Origin match. Wow! Can we change everybody in the country? The Australian national anthem has not been changed since 1984. Let's make 'I am Australian' our national anthem, or at least our national song, says David Donovan — 'Advance Australia Fair' just doesn't cut it anymore. Sure, change them. It had just officially replaced 'God Save The Queen' as the anthem, but not before the Prime Minister of the time Bob Hawke requested a change to the opening line (now "Australians all let us rejoice") to be more inclusive. "I think what's really important when we think about any of these types of changes is that we should be guided by what it is we're trying to do or trying to achieve. "I feel upset when others don't feel the anthem reflects them. Australian state premiers back 'appropriate' change to national anthem 20 Nov, 2020 01:41 AM 3 minutes to read Australia's national anthem Advance Australia Fair has been changed … Prior to 1984, "God Save the Queen" was the national anthem of Australia. But given the current climate in this country, maybe it’s time for a change. How can you change the national anthem to make it acceptable to the Indigenous community? news.com.au November 12, 2020 6:32am. The rapper – whose best-known songs includes January 26, which advocates changing the date of Australia Day – told the Q&A audience most young Australians were taught to sing the anthem at school and didn’t “ask questions … because everyone else is [singing it]”. Karen Mundine, the CEO of Reconciliation Australia, told Mamamia's The Quicky she welcomed Berejiklian's comments but these conversations have been going on for too long without action. Why It Should Not Be Changed The Australian flag was designed in 1901 after a competition was held to allow Australians to design our own flag – something that had never been done before. Adopting a new national flag would be no different. She received a lunchtime detention from her school, and faced the ire of politicians and media. one line in particular - "For we are young and free". Great singalong chorus, passable storyline, and totally confusing to everyone in the world!” – Crowcrag January 26 does have historical significance. In 1953 the Australian Parliament enacted the Commonwealth Government Flags Act 1953 to confirm, not to establish, the flag as the Australian National Flag. In tomorrow's Herald Sun, I have been told Jeff Kennett will be saying that the song I am Australian should be our national anthem, or at least our national song. The Australian public is not attached to the national anthem because it is only 35 years old and the “song’s just not that good”, the Indigenous rapper Briggs has said. But such protests can sometimes spark a backlash among fans, particularly when it comes to sensitive issues like the national anthem. Larger text size. To stand in front of the largest live audience you are ever likely to see and perform the national anthem. Briggs told Q&A on Monday night he had not stood for the national anthem since he was 13 or 14. which advocates changing the date of Australia Day. ", Calls are growing to change the Australian national anthem to include our Indigenous history.Today, the campaign has a surprising new ally, in Gladys Berejiklian. The Victorian musician said he wanted to provide a “scoreboard” to Australia that showed the disadvantages faced by First Nations people. It changed the way I thought about the anthem. Some Americans are calling for a new national anthem amid the nationwide trend of removing monuments, statues and other symbols that have ties to slavery. One of the bigger news stories this week was the young girl in Queensland who refused to stand up for the national anthem – Advance Australia Fair – on the grounds that she thought it was not inclusive of indigenous Australians. The first verse of the poem has become the national anthem of America, but scholars and activists are asking for the song to be replaced. Pompous, ridiculously over patriotic to the point where the words are almost meaningless. Just do it. #QandA pic.twitter.com/RStc7RswpM. image caption The Australian national anthem does not unify everyone, some argue On Wednesday, a nine-year-old girl reignited debate about Australia's national anthem by explaining why … We adopted our own National Anthem without it being thought of as disrespectful to our ex-servicemen who fought wars for Australia under a different national anthem. Briggs has not stood for the anthem since he was 13 or 14 years old. "Advance Australia Fair" is the national anthem of Australia. Watch: The Stolen Generations: Why I can't 'get over it'. But Australia’s top end has the highest rate of youth suicide in the world. “He’s totally right,” he said. Decades later, the debate continues about the song, and one line in particular - "For we are young and free" - because it does not recognise Australia's rich Indigenous history and the oldest continuous culture in the world. Celebrating on this day is an acknowledgment of the first time Europeans inhabited Australian … The current Australian national anthem was signed off by former prime minister Bob Hawke in 1984, and voted on by referendum. Change the national anthem. Australia changed its National Anthem from God Save The Queen to Advance Australia Fair in 1984. When Indigenous NRL players decided against singing the anthem before matches in 2019, radio broadcaster Chris Smith said the players were dividing "young, impressionable" fans of the game and guilting the NRL into not celebrating "this great country". #QandA. You should know that... Advance Australia Fair has only been our national anthem since 1984 Despite national competitions, polls, and an eventual plebiscite in 1977 to find a new national … The anthem also includes the line “wealth for toil”, which riled Briggs because “only one in 10 Indigenous Australians are financially secure”. For example, English footballer Raheem Sterling has been praised for tackling racism in the sport, while Australian rugby player David Pocock was a vocal supporter of same-sex marriage. It’s only 35 years old. In 2018, a nine-year-old Queensland girl refused to stand for it during assembly. I don’t think anyone is really that attached to it because the song’s just not that good,” he said to applause. Lawyer and campaigner @teelareid shares her thoughts on what more can be done to include our First Nations people. ‘A slap on the wrist’ is not included in any Australian crimes act as a punishment. Words can make us feel welcomed or they can make us feel excluded," she said, adding these conversations around anthems and flags weren't the only conversations we need to be having. Australian athlete Richard Coleman said: "That is one incredible national anthem. Advance Australia Fair was written in 1878 by ‎Peter Dodds McCormick but was not adopted as the national anthem until 1984, replacing God Save the Queen. Substitute the word ‘strong’ for young and it sounds great. Why change the national anthem? Against this background, and considering the zeitgeist of the time, it is not surprising that Australia's Aboriginal people, and their timeless … #qanda, I have absolutely no connection to our anthem and would love to sing a better one #qanda, Imagine the anthem in Indigenous languages. “And so, I do side with the people who say that we should rethink this as the national anthem, because this is about the deep-seated legacy of slavery and white supremacy in … In NAIDOC week 2020 (with the theme 'Always Was, Always Will Be') all about recognising and celebrating that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years, the calls for change are once again making waves. Three generations of the Ingrey family refuse to sing the national anthem. ‘I don’t think anyone is really that attached to it,’ Indigenous rapper says to applause, Last modified on Tue 11 Jun 2019 00.06 BST. The debate over whether or not to change Australia’s national anthem has been an ongoing one – and there’s one song they want it changed to. "Though, my listener didn't use the word backside.". Please sign in to contribute to the Mamamia Community. Post continues below audio. And so, how do we involve all Australians in a way that we get to a consensus rather than a conflict?". 5. Before 1984, Australia's national anthem 'Advance Australia Fair' started with the line: "Australian sons, let us rejoice." When Peter Dodds McCormick wrote Australia's anthem, Advanced Australia Fair, in 1878 his world view was heavily influenced by the church and the Department of Education for which he worked most of his life. Critics say the use of the word “young” disregards the fact that Indigenous Australians are one of the oldest cultures in the world. Created by the Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878 and sung in Australia as a patriotic song.It replaced "God Save the Queen" as the official national anthem in 1984, following a plebiscite to choose the national song in 1977 ", She said she appreciated how important it is "to bring people together, how important it is to include our history in total and that's why I'm supporting this one word change, which I hope will make a difference. “That’s just part of, that’s just showbiz, baby.”. It had just officially replaced 'God Save The Queen' as the anthem, but not before the Prime Minister of the time Bob Hawke requested a change to the opening line (now "Australians all let us rejoice") to be more inclusive. It’s not possible to accurately determine how many people ‘cried or whinged’ since then. "For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands people, what would be respectful for recognising us? As an athlete every time the Australian anthem is performed it should be done this way. Advance Australia Fair, national anthem of Australia, adopted on April 19, 1984. To move forward and be united we need to acknowledge our whole past, make everybody feel seen and heard and embrace the future together. "I think symbols are important. All Australian states and territories, plus the Commonwealth, have punishments for crimes. But also there is a broader community that the anthem speaks to as well. Our National Anthem is one of Australia′s symbols as is our National Flag. She said there is a link between the symbols and the actions: The symbols needed to be backed up with action, and when the actions happen, we need the symbols to represent them. I agree it should be changed. "If we spent the same amount of time talking about incarceration rates, talking about poor health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands people or treaty and Indigenous governance, if we spent as much time talking about those really important issues as well as these then maybe we might see more change happening.". “So I don’t think a lot of people are that attached to the actual anthem. I’m with Gladys. I think we’ve got a chance.”, Should Australians be united in support of the national anthem and flag while they’re in place? But then a national anthem should not aspire to be a catchy pop song to wave your lighter to. Appearing on the ABC’s Q&A program on Monday, Briggs was asked about his video for The Weekly in which he said the anthem “sucks”, and sought to explain what it “sounds like when blackfellas listen to it”. “This made a lot of sense. Prior to that, Australia's national anthem was God Save the Queen. I think that includes both parties as well. “We Are One” was the anthem we chose for the moment the Marriage Equality Bill passed #QandA, why are we focusing so much on the flag and anthem? The video sparked a critical front-page news story in the West Australian. Or, as one of my listeners said using the lingo of my old man, a good kick up the backside," Alan Jones said on his 2GB breakfast show. "We need to recognise our Aboriginal heritage and to say we're young and free... it ignores the fact that they've inhabited the continent," Ms Berejiklian told Today. However, 116 years on and there is a debate on why the Australian flag should be changed. In a special episode to mark Sydney’s Vivid festival, he was joined on the panel by the actor and writer Faustina Agolley, the billionaire founder of Atlassian Mike Cannon-Brookes, the CSIRO chief executive, Larry Marshall, and the cyberpsychologist Jocelyn Brewer. 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