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Wendell Teodoro / Getty Images
The fireworks display over the Sydney Opera House during the evening New Years Eve celebrations.
Australia’s national anthem will sound a little different in 2021.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Thursday night that Advance Australia Fair’s second line will change from “Because we are young and free” to “Because we are one and free.”
The change will take effect as of Friday.
“Over the past year we have once again demonstrated the indomitable spirit of Australians and the united effort that has always allowed us to prevail as a nation,” Morrison said in a statement.
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“It is time to ensure that this great unity is more fully reflected in our national anthem.”
The prime minister added that Australia was “the most successful multicultural nation in the world.”
“While Australia as a modern nation may be relatively young, the history of our country is ancient, as are the stories of the many First Nations peoples whose administration we rightly recognize and respect,” Morrison said.
Brook Mitchell / Getty Images
The current Australian anthem was officially adopted in the 1980s.
“In the spirit of unity, it is right that we ensure that our National Anthem reflects this shared truth and appreciation.
“Changing ‘young and free’ to ‘one and free’ takes nothing away, but … adds a lot.”
The Sydney Harbor Bridge also lit up with the words “we are one” before midnight.
JOE ARMAO / Sydney Morning Herald
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said similar changes had been made in the past.
Advance Australia Fair was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick and was first introduced in 1878.
It was adopted as the national anthem in 1984 on the recommendation of then-Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
The change comes less than two months after New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian expressed empathy for Indigenous Australians who said the national anthem did not reflect them or their history.
It was time to make “a little gesture” and change some lyrics, he said.
Mark Baker / AP
The fireworks show was cut short as parts of Australia were welcomed in 2021 under Covid-19 restrictions.
The change also follows the Wallabies becoming the first sports team to sing the anthem in an indigenous language ahead of their rugby tryout against Argentina earlier this month.
Olivia Fox’s moving performance in the Eora language at Sydney’s Bankwest Stadium, backed by the 23 Wallabies, captivated hearts across the country.
The fireworks display that welcomed 2021 at the Sydney Opera House was reduced from 12 minutes to seven amid a new Covid-19 outbreak and restrictions in New South Wales.
