Primary school under fire over national anthem change

A primary school has come under fire for stoking a ‘culture war’ by having young students learn an Indigenous alternative to the national anthem.

Yarraville West Primary School, in Melbourne, has been making their students sing the revised version of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ at assemblies for the past six months.

While the different version maintains the original musical score from 1878, the lyrics except the title were changed to acknowledge the history of Indigenous Australians. 

The modifications were made by Indigenous artists for the Dulwich Centre and Seekers singer Judith Durham in 2015.

Several parents have complained about the change saying it has confused their children who have no idea how to sing the official anthem. 

The national anthem opens: ‘Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free. We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil, our home is girt by sea.’

The revised version begins: ‘Australia, celebrate as one, with peace and harmony. Our precious water, soil and sun, grant life for you and me.’

3AW host Tom Elliot blamed the school on Wednesday for having ‘reignited culture wars’.

‘The Australian national anthem is not just some love it or leave it song that you may or may not want to sing, it is the anthem of our country,’ he said.

Elliot admitted that the altered version is ‘not a bad anthem’ but said it is ‘not the anthem there is a we teach children’.

‘You can’t teach primary school children a different version of our anthem, it’s just confusing for them,’ he said. 

Some parents told the Herald Sun it was ‘important’ for children to learn the national anthem.

One said their child had no idea how to sing along to the anthem while at a sports match. 

‘They should be proud of being Australian and confusing them … is not the answer,’ one said.