The lyrics of the Australian national anthem changed: a new version of Advance Australia Fair was adopted

A new version of the Australian national anthem was adopted, with a lyric line for the song changing as of January 1.

In an evening announcement on New Year’s Eve, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that Governor General David Hurley had accepted the federal government’s recommendation to amend the anthem.

The second line of Advance Australia Fair will change from “Because we are young and free” to “Because we are one and free”.

“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. It is time to ensure that this great unity is more fully reflected in our national anthem,” Morrison. said.

Furthermore, while Australia as a modern nation may be relatively young, our country’s history is ancient, as are the stories of many First Nations peoples whose administration we rightly recognize and respect.

“In the spirit of unity, it is right for us to ensure that our national anthem reflects this shared truth and appreciation.

“Changing ‘young and free’ to ‘one and free’ doesn’t take away anything, but I think it adds a lot. Recognize the distance we have traveled as a nation.

“It recognizes that our national history comes from more than 300 national ancestors and language groups and that we are the most successful multicultural nation in the world.

“It reaffirms our determination as one of the oldest democracies in the world, while honoring the foundations on which our nation has been built and the aspirations we share for the future.

“‘One and Free’ is and should be the story of all Australians, and this is how we really move forward at the Australian Fair.

The slight change in the lyrics of the anthem has been endorsed by politicians from the two main parties.

“I think it is time we recognized the tens of thousands of years of the First Nations people of this continent,” New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said in November.

“Recognizing all the key parts of our society is critical. And I think if we say, ‘We are one and free,’ we recognize that we are not really young as a continent. We are tens of thousands of years old when it comes to human inhabitants.

“Respect is important. Inclusion is important.”

“I think we should be a nation like all Australians, regardless of race, color or creed, whether they are immigrants who have come to this nation,” said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

“I have no problem changing the wording to ‘one’ if that will unite our nation.”

It is the first modification of the anthem since the Hawke government in 1984, when it was changed from God Save the Queen to Advance Australia Fair.