The lyrics of Australia’s national anthem have been altered by one word to recognize the country’s Indigenous history, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Thursday. Until Friday, the song began: “Australians all let us rejoice, for we are young and free.” But as the country celebrated the beginning of the new year, the “young” was dropped. The anthem now describes the country as “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,” Mr. Morrison, who leads the Liberal Party, wrote in an opinion piece for 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,” he added. “Changing ‘young and free’ to ‘one and free’ takes nothing away, but I believe it adds much.”

Source: New York Times December 31, 2020 21:56 UTC