Advance Australia Now Anthem

By Sue Ellson on 10 October 2017

I have spent the last three days at the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) 2017 Conference in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Like many third generation Australian born Australians, I am extremely ignorant when it comes to the 65,000 year heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders who have loved and lived on the land I call home.

I have been personally moved by Tanya Denning Orman from National Indigenous Television’s quote on the need for all Australians to move from story telling to truth telling and by Djapirri Mununggirritj from Reconciliation Australia about the need for us to hop in the same canoe.

So I would like to encourage us to sing a new national anthem in Australia, at least for a short while, to remind us that we need to Advance Australia Now (not just Advance Australia Fair).

 

Advance Australia Now

Australians let us make a choice,
To live more harmoniously
We’ve let indigenous forebears boil
In a cup of secular tea
Our time has come to reconcile
Mutual respect and trust
It’s time to lead the rightful charge
Advance Australia Now
There’s never been a better time
Advance Australia Now

It’s time for us to be the boss
To tell the truth and make new plans
For all those who’ve landed here so far
Proud citizens from afar
We know our rights and responsibilities
Of sharing the same canoe
It really is time to take up the charge
Advance Australia Now
There’s never been a better time
Advance Australia Now

Feel free to share and sing! 🙂