Published 13 September 2018 Share close panel Share page Copy link About sharing By Frances Mao BBC News, Sydney On Wednesday, a nine-year-old girl reignited debate about Australia’s national anthem by explaining why she had refused to rise for it at a school assembly. Harper Nielsen, from Brisbane, argued the lyrics of “Advance Australia Fair” disregarded the country’s indigenous history. That led some lawmakers to criticise her for “disrespect” , but other Australians praised her for taking a stand (or, in this case, a seat). The song was written in the 19th Century but only adopted as Australia’s anthem in 1984, replacing God Save the Queen. The anthem, for various reasons, has never been regarded as particularly popular. Does Harper’s assertion have much support? ‘Not a young country’ The main controversy in the two-verse song is the opening line: “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free.” The words “young and free” ignore the estimated 65,000 years or more of indigenous Australian culture, according to the Recognition in Anthem group, which has campaigned to change the song. Find ‘rewrites’ Australian human history Opera singer Deborah Cheetham, a Yorta Yorta woman, famously declined an invitation to perform the… Read full this story
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