So it’s Australia Day, and again I’ve been thinking, this time my musings have been around why is Australia Day so significant?
Over the last few days I’ve been both shocked and proud at what my fellow Australian’s think about Australia day.
Firstly lets look at the shocking. The first comes from a Facebook post that appeared in my newsfeed. It read as follows:
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF AUSTRALIA AND TO THE COMMONWEALTH FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION INDIVISIBLE, AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! MY GENERATION GREW UP RECITING THE AUSTRALIAN ANTHEM EVERY MORNING IN SCHOOL WITH MY HAND ON MY HEART. THEY NO LONGER DO THAT FOR FEAR OF OFFENDING SOMEONE! LET’S SEE HOW MANY AUSSIES WILL RE-POST THIS AND NOT CARE ABOUT OFFENDING SOMEONE. This is My Country, This Is Australia love it or leave it!!!! our flag our Rules NOT YOURS
WE GREW HERE,YOU FLEW HERE!!
Firstly the similarity to the American pledge of allegiance is somewhat disheartening – you could at least have been original in your comments. Another problem I have with this quote is that I went to the same school as this person (and we did not at any stage stand with our hand on our heart and recite anything – at least that I can recall). Even if we had done as suggested, reciting the anthem every morning – the essence of the lyrics obviously have not been heard by this person (more on this later).
The next shocking item (although this less surprising) was a news article that appeared earlier in the week – Aussie flag flyers more racist: Survey
The general results of the survey were as the headline states – that people who fly Australian flags on their vehicles tend to have more racist views compared to others who didn’t.
Since when did patriotism become confused with racism?
There have also been some positives about the Australian identity in the media.
Again I firstly turn to Facebook and one of the viral posts that do the rounds. Entitled Australia Day the post begins with the following:
You know you’re Australian if …
• You believe that stubbies can be either drunk or worn.
• You’re liable to burst out laughing whenever you hear of Americans “rooting” for something.
• You pronounce Melbourne as ‘Mel-bin’. You believe the ‘L’ in the word ‘Australia’ is optional.
• You abbreviate our countries towns and cities, ‘BRISSY’, ‘NEWY’, ‘COFFS’, ‘SURFERS’, ‘ROCKY’ and ‘THE GONG’
• You can translate: ‘Dazza and Shazza played Acca Dacca on the way to Maccas.’
• You believe it makes perfect sense for a nation to decorate its highways with large fibreglass bananas, prawns and sheep.
• You call your best friend ‘a total bastard’ but someone you really, truly despise is just ‘a bit of a bastard’.
The list goes on, but you get the general idea. I love this list because I believe that it encompasses something of the Australian identity, we are a strange bunch of people and the rest of the world often struggle to understand our quirky ways.
Finally as hinted above I want to address our national anthem.
For those who don’t know the Australian anthem is Advance Australia Fair (you can find more about out Anthem at the following site – It’s an Honour) and although not often sung the anthem contains two verses.
The lyrics of the second verse are as follows:
Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!”
In this second verse you will notice the line – ‘For those who’ve come across the seas, We’ve boundless plains to share. ‘ This line speaks so much more about the Australian spirit than either of the comments shared on Facebook, or in the news. It proudly proclaims that as Australian’s we are happy to welcome those who have come from other places and with courage we will combine to make a better Australia.
Although is may seem like I am trying to make somewhat of a political point, that is not my intention. I simply want my fellow Australian’s to think about the significance of Australia Day. Is it about being patriotic – expressing the love for one’s country? Or has racism taken the place of patriotism in the Australian identity?
matthewsmicromusings 