Australia changed its national anthem to be more inclusive of indigenous people.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the slight change in “Advance Australia Fair” on Thursday, hours before the country welcomed in 2021. The line that reads, “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free,” will now end with “one and free.”
“Australia as a modern nation may be relatively young, but our country’s story is ancient, as are the stories of the many First Nations peoples whose stewardship we rightly acknowledge and respect,” Morrison wrote in an opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald.
“In the spirit of unity, it is only right that we also now acknowledge this and ensure our national anthem reflects this truth and shared appreciation. Changing ‘young and free’ to ‘one and free’ takes nothing away,” he said, “but I believe it adds much.”
This is not the first time Australia has changed the language in their national anthem.
The country changed the original version when it was adapted to be the national anthem. Additionally, 35 years ago, then-Prime Minister Bob Hawke was the last one to recommend an update to the song that was adopted as the country’s national anthem on April 19, 1984, 106 years after it was written.
The most recent change was first floated by New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian, who said the wording ignored the country’s “proud First Nations culture,” according to Reuters.
A number of lawmakers welcomed the change, including the federal minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt.
