{{Short description|Proposed Australian national anthem}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} '''God Bless Australia''' was a proposed 1961 Australian national anthem by Australian songwriter Jack O'Hagan who provided patriotic lyrics to the traditional tune of ''Waltzing Matilda''.<ref>pp 427–428 Bebbington, Warren'' The Oxford Companion to Australian Music''Oxford University Press 1997</ref>
==Lyrics==
Credits: Music by Marie Cowan, Lyrics by Jack O'Hagan.<ref name="Lyrics">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44797136 |title=Advertising: 'God Bless Australia' |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly |volume=35 |issue=36 |date=7 February 1968 |access-date=28 September 2022 |page=19 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
''Here in this God given land of ours, Australia''<br> ''This proud possession, our own piece of earth''<br> ''That was built by our fathers, who pioneered our heritage,''<br> ''Here in Australia, the land of our birth.''
REFRAIN
''God bless Australia, Our land Australia,''<br> ''Home of the Anzac, the strong and the free''<br> ''It's our homeland, our own land,''<br> ''To cherish for eternity,''<br> ''God bless Australia, The land of the free.''
''Here in Australia, we treasure love and liberty,''<br> ''Our way of life, all for one, one for all''<br> ''We're a peace loving race, but should danger ever threaten us,''<br> ''Let the world know we will answer the call''
REFRAIN (×2)
==Corporate sponsorship==
The song was given airplay in cinema advertisements in Australia by Ampol, an Australian Petrol Company,<ref>[http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/WM/Anthem.html Roger Clarke's 'Waltzing Matilda'<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080704194442/http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/WM/Anthem.html |date=4 July 2008 }}</ref> with a 45rpm record sold by the company. "God Bless Australia" was broadcast in honour of Australia Day (26 January) in 1968 via various television channels.<ref name="Bang">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44797165 |title=Now New Words for 'Waltzing Matilda' |first=Maureen |last=Bang |newspaper=The Australian Women's Weekly |volume=35 |issue=36 |date=7 February 1968 |access-date=28 September 2022 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia }}</ref> This version was sung by Neil Williams<!-- not seen at disambiguation page -->, backed by an orchestra and chorus, which were recorded at Melbourne's GTV-9 studios.<ref name="Bang"/> At that time, O'Hagan dismissed "Advance Australia Fair" as a possible national anthem, "[it] never developed into a national song. You can't make a national song overnight. It just evolves. That's why holding competitions to find one are not successful."<ref name="Bang"/> O'Hagan also felt the original lyrics to "Waltzing Matilda" were not suitable for an anthem, dismissing it as undignified.<ref name="Bang"/> STW-9 in Perth used this for their sign offs from 1977 until they went 24/7 in 1983.
== References == {{reflist}}
{{authority control}}
Category:1961 songs Category:Australian songs Category:Australian patriotic songs Category:Songs written by Jack O'Hagan