Australia Changes Lyrics In Its National Anthem

Ilustrasi (Image by Rebecca Lintz from Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The Australian Government adapted new lyrics in its national anthem. By eliminating the parts that are said to not reflect the history of the indigenous people of Australia.

Launching Nzherald, the change in lyrics was made on the consideration that the indigenous people of Australia are the world's oldest civilization, so the "for we are young and free" (for us who are young and free) is changed to "for we are one and free" (for those of us who one and free).

"We live in the land of the ancient indigenous peoples, and we are piecing together the stories of more than 300 national ancestors and language groups," Prime Minister Scott Morrison told journalists in Canberra, Friday, January 1.

"And our national anthem must reflect that. The changes we made and announced today, I think, achieved that goal," Morrison said.

When asked if he would be the first to sing the new national anthem, Morrison said, "I think the prime minister sings the same as the prime minister does sport, which is best done privately."

The idea of changing the words of Australia's national anthem was raised in 2020 by the leader of the state of New South Wales, Gladys Berejiklian, who said the use of the original words had neglected "proud indigenous culture".

The proposal was welcomed by a number of legislators, including Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, as well as One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson. Over the past few decades, Australia has sought reconciliation with Aboriginal people - who arrived on the continent's land some 50,000 years before British colonialists.

Each year, Australians receive a national holiday on January 26, to mark the date that the First Fleet (British sailing vessel) docked at Sydney Harbor in 1788, which carries prisoners and soldiers. Meanwhile, some indigenous people call this day "Invasion Day" (Day of the Assault).