Why we should make one tiny change to Advance Australia Fair

Spectators hold up the Australian and Indigenous flags at last year’s Australian Open tennis tournament. Picture: Getty Images

One is such a powerful word. When Channel 9 was at its zenith, back in the day, it used another number to promote its wares — “Still the One” was the wildly successful promo line.

“One life, but we’re not the same,” sang U2, reprised brilliantly by the late Johnny Cash. “One love, one blood, one life.” Johnny Farnham (yes we used to call him Johnny) used to sing “one is the loneliest number” but I think he had it wrong.

Over the years through polarised and ugly political debates in this country it has amused me how the word “one” provided an unlikely bridge. At either end of debates about Indigenous affairs, I have argued with Pauline Hanson and Jesuit activist Frank Brennan.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. Picture: Lachie Millard

Jesuit priest and activist Frank Brennan. Picture: Ryan Osland

Brennan’s book proposing a radical route to reconciliation was called “One land, One nation,” and Hanson, Brennan’s ideological opposite, called her party “One Nation.” As it turns out, I have come to work with both of them, and, you know what, they are both passionate and committed Australians.

Now New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has joined a push on to change “young and free” in our national anthem to “one and free” – and she is spot on. Earlier this year Olympic champion Cathy Freeman advocated this change.

Freeman is a legend. All Australians admire her. She is proud of her Indigenous heritage but is no radical activist. She ought be listened to.

Remember Freeman did not just choose to fly the Aboriginal flag when she won gold, she chose to fly the Australian flag too. She knows the value of one – the disparate elements of one.

We are not actually a young country. Our Indigenous heritage, of course, is ancient. How lucky are we to live in a country with fellow citizens who belong to the oldest living culture on the planet?

Cathy Freeman celebrates after winning the women’s 400m gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Picture: File

And even if we consider the modern incarnation of political nation states, ours is about the tenth oldest continuously operating democracy out of nearly 200 countries in the world. In other words, as a democratic nation state we are an elder statesman rather than young.

As Berejiklian points out, we used to sing “Australia’s sons let us rejoice” but now we sing “Australians all.” And who would argue against that change?

Likewise, changing “young” to “one” does not diminish our anthem, it enhances and improves it. If it makes the anthem easier for our Indigenous brothers and sisters to embrace, then that is wonderful. It happens to be more accurate anyway.

Besides, none of us stay young. Much as we would all like to be ageless, we can never stay young. But we are an inclusive nation, we have melded into an enviably pluralistic and tolerant nation, and we ought to be one, as a people, forever.

It is a tiny change, it will mean a lot to many people, and it preserves a traditional and conservative anthem. Berejiklian is right. Freeman was right.

Remember when Cathy won the 400 metres in 2000? We were proud. We were overjoyed. We were one. And free.