It wasn't until I really read the second verse of Australia's National Anthem on Australia Day just passed that I truly appreciated its real significance to Australia's development and to modern day Australia.
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'Advance Australia Fair' was created by Scottish born composer Peter Dodds McCormick and first performed in Australia in 1878.
By my mathematics that's 138 years ago.
Australia has come a long way since then, and it took until 1984 until it was installed as our National Anthem and the lyrics we now know were adopted.
The first verse that we all know so well is significant in that it talks about the physical aspects of our island home and touches on the historical aspects of our past, so what is so significant about the second verse?
Let me digress a little.
The second verse that we sang on Australia Day is actually the third verse and in fact in the original lyrics of 'Advance Australia Fair', apart from a small change of 'sons' to 'all' in the first line, this first verse has remained virtually unchanged.
The same cannot be said about the other verses which have a strong Brittania theme running through them, and, I must say seem to be losing any significance in today's Australia.
Fortunately the second third and fourth verses were dropped and the modified third verse was added and sung at Federation in 1901.
I don't know why I haven't taken greater notice of the significance of the second verse, but this Australia Day I did.
This verse places us beneath the Southern Cross and talks about the work we have put into our nation to stand proud on the world scene, why else would we say we are the lucky country, the best nation on Earth.
We worked hard to get that recognition and we're proud of it.
It is in the next four lines I really felt the significance:
"For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair."
Think back to the 1850's when gold brought thousands to our shores, people moved from European countries in the 1900's seeking a better life, schemes like the Snowy Mountains Scheme brought skilled workers here and immigrants from Asian countries started to call Australia home and I guess the cosmopolitan nature of our country grew and we learned to love and accept this change.
Even today, refugees seek to come here looking for a better life and one thing is truly common, they all came across the seas and we share our boundless plains.
We should sing (or play) two verses each time the Anthem is played and every time you hear it, reflect on the message the Anthem conveys, especially those implied in the second verse.
"In joyful strains then let us sing, Advance Australia Fair."(Like to know more? Google up 'Advance Australia Fair' and go the Wikipedia, you may even find out why I'm so relieved the original verses 2, 3 and 4 were dropped)
