God Bless Australia
God Bless Australia was a proposed 1961 Australian national anthem by Australian songwriter Jack O'Hagan who provided patriotic lyrics to the traditional tune of Waltzing Matilda.[1]
Lyrics
Credits: Music by Marie Cowan, Lyrics by Jack O'Hagan.[2]
Here in this God given land of ours, Australia
This proud possession, our own piece of earth
That was built by our fathers, who pioneered our heritage,
Here in Australia, the land of our birth.
REFRAIN
God bless Australia, Our land Australia,
Home of the Anzac, the strong and the free
It's our homeland, our own land,
To cherish for eternity,
God bless Australia, The land of the free.
Here in Australia, we treasure love and liberty,
Our way of life, all for one, one for all
We're a peace loving race, but should danger ever threaten us,
Let the world know we will answer the call
REFRAIN (×2)
Corporate sponsorship
The song was given airplay in cinema advertisements in Australia by Ampol, an Australian Petrol Company,[3] with a 45rpm record sold by the company. "God Bless Australia" was broadcast in honour of Australia Day (26 January) in 1968 via various television channels.[4] This version was sung by Neil Williams, backed by an orchestra and chorus, which were recorded at Melbourne's GTV-9 studios.[4] At that time, O'Hagan dismissed "Advance Australia Fair" as a possilbe national anthem, "[it] never developed into a national song. You can't make a national song overnight. It just evolves. That's why holding competitions to find one are not successful."[4] O'Hagan also felt the original words to "Waltzing Matilda" were not suitable for an anthem as being undignified.[4]
References
- ^ pp 427–428 Bebbington, Warren The Oxford Companion to Australian MusicOxford University Press 1997
- ^ "Advertising: 'God Bless Australia'". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 35, no. 36. 7 February 1968. p. 19. Retrieved 28 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Roger Clarke's 'Waltzing Matilda' Archived 4 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d Bang, Maureen (7 February 1968). "Now New Words for 'Waltzing Matilda'". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 35, no. 36. p. 12. Retrieved 28 September 2022 – via National Library of Australia.