STRICTLY EMBARGOED UNhTIL 5 P-M EASTERN SLMIER MM,
FRILDAY 26 JANUJARY 1973 NATIONAL ANTIM
AUSTRALIAN DAY BROADCAST BY TH{ E PRIME MINISTER
During the election camapaign, I undertook that the
Labor Government would seek a new I-ational Anthem for our
country. I promised that the peopl~ e of Australia would be
invited to help choose the Anthem. On this Australia Day,
it is appropriate that I tell You of the Government's plans
for fulfilling this promise to the people.
First let me explain whly my colleagues and I believe
that a new National Anthem is needed. We feel it is essential
that Australians have an Anthem that fittingly embodies our
national aspirations and reflects our status as an independent
na1, tion. We need an Anthem that uniquely identifies our country
abroad, and recalls vividly to ourselves the distinctive
qualities of Australian life and the character and traditions
of our nation. These aims are particularly important to the
Labor Government which I lead. It has been one of tile central
ambitions of my administration to foster a fresh and distinctive
reputation for Australia overseas, and to encourage in our
domestic affairs a greater spirit of shared purpose and national
unity. My Government does not believe that our present National
Anthem is adequate for these purposes.
It is not thle Government's int ention to impose its own
choice of an Anthem on the Australian people. This is clearly
something which the people must choose for themselves. A new
Anthem will belong to the nation. I have therefore asked the
Australian Council for the Arts to confer with Government
departments and other organisations and to assume responsibility
for bringing together a number of suitable compositions from
which a choice can be made by the people.
We propose, during a period of three months, to invite
any members of the public who are interested to submit the words
and music for an Anthem. We hope that prominent writers and
composers will wish to collaborate in this task, and a small
number of established writers and composers will be specially
invited to do so. At thle end of the three months a judging
panel will select several works from those submitted. These
will be played on radio and television and in other ways
throughout Australia. The public will then be asked, withl the
help of the national media, to vote for the composition they
would wish to see adopted as the new National Anthem.
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There are, as you know, several popular songs which
already have some claim to being accepted as our Anthem. Many
of them have a long and colourful history. An opportunity will
3be given at the time of the national vote for these to be
considered, and voted upon, along with the entries selected
or invited by the judges. An award of $ 500 will be made for
each of the works invited and for each of the compositions
selected by the judging panel. The public's final choice
will receive an award of S5,000.
On the advice of the Australian Council for the Arts,
similar arrangements will be made to select a short fanfare and
a more formal composition, without words, which may be useful
on o*' her public or official occasions. These works, however,
will be used more rarely, and will not have the status of a
NIational Anthem0 In addition, as a member nation of the
Commonwealth, we will continue to use " God Save The Queen"
on occasions when 11cr Majesty is present, or when it is
especially important to acknowledge our links with -the Crown.
The details of this scheme will shortly be announced
by the Australian Council for the Arts, whose advice on this
question has been of great value to the Government. I hope
the scheme will result in some distinguished collaboration
between our composers and poets, and some imaginative entries
from members of the public. I know that all Australians will
welcome an opportunity to express their personal view in a
matter which concerns us all. I am aware that many people
and organisations have been active in this matter, in some
instances for many years, and I believe this plan will enable
the results of their work to be taken into account. A new
Anthem will be a symbolic expression of our national pride
and dignity. It is long overdue, and I have no doubt thl-at
it is fervently desired by the great majority of Australians.
After 72 years of Federation, it is astonishing that we are
among the very few nations in the world without an Anthem
of our ownm. It, is timie we reminded ourselves and the rest
of the world of what Australia stands for.
CA1NI3ERRA. A. C. T.