Does Advance Australia Fair ignore indigenous Australians?

A Victorian Supreme Court judge has written his own version of the national anthem he feels better reflects Australians. Justice Peter Vickery rewrote the third verse, and told The Australian it was because he felt it had the worst anomaly, with no reference to indigenous Australians. 

“I am a judge but I also turn my hand to writing poetry in my spare time,” he said. “I have been conscious for some time of the disquiet among our indigenous citizens … and they clearly have a point. Advance Australia Fair in its present form completely ignores our first peoples.”

It took six months of his time writing numerous drafts, and he also set up an informal sounding board to review his work. He called upon Richard Gill, conductor and musical director of the Sydney Chamber Choir, to advise on the musical pattern and scan. Finally he produced a video version, sung by indigenous baritone, Don Bemrose.

Indigenous recognition was also raised on Anzac Day, with the release of a music clip about the Australian spirit, about mateship and most importantly, closing the gap. Australian band Busby Marou, with members Thomas Busby and Jeremy Marou, said they were proud to unveil the film clip for the new song that expresses our gratitude to all our Anzacs and goes a step further to acknowledge our Indigenous men and women who served our country. “The song acknowledges our powerful Indigenous culture and celebrates our future and the clip pays homage to all our war veterans, both indigenous and non indigenous who fought side by side.”

The filmclip for the song Paint This Land was co-directed by a childhood friend, Wayne Blair, whose own father Vietnam veteran Bob Blair was the first Aboriginal Regimental Sergeant Major in the Australian Army. Bob Blair features in the clip, as does Jeremy Marou’s three children.

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What do you think of the two songs?