In honour of Australia Day I figured I’d put together a collection of some of my favourite patriotic songs. They’re all very different, but they have one thing in common: they were written by proud Australians who weren’t afraid to let the world know they love their country. So grab a beer, put another snag on the barbie and sing along!
I barely recognise Richard Clapton in this clip for “Down in the Lucky Country!” Just ignore the naff special effects and join in with the chorus.
OK, so technically Christina Anu wrote “My Island Home” about Torres Strait rather than Australia generally, but it’s since been adopted as an unofficial anthem. A beautiful song, and a beautiful performance on SBS’s Rockwiz.
Speaking of unofficial anthems, they don’t get much bigger than “I Still Call Australia Home.” I’d really hoped to find a video of the original Peter Allen version, or even Hugh Jackman’s Broadway performance, but Guy Sebastian’s jazzy take will have to do. I saw The Boy from Oz when I was in New York, and I have never felt more proud to be an Australian as I did when this song was performed.