Comparing Representations of Australia

Advance Australia Fair

1. The original poem is different as it does not address as many people as the new version. It says "Australia's sons" rather than "Australian's all," this referring only to males in Australia. There is also a whole 2nd verse that is cut out of the new one that talks about Britain.
2. The poem addresses British men and does not acknowledge anyone else such as women, children or Aborigines.
3. Women, Aborigines, immigrants, children and anyone who is not a British male is excluded from this text.
4. Wealth, abundance, freedom, status and Britain's rule are important to Australia's sons.
5. The reader is positioned to see Britain as a fantastic place with brave men and to Australia as a beautiful and rich country. They are not 'shown' the way Aborigines, women or children were thought of or treated.
6. The changes identified in question one suggest that today women are equal to men. Australia values woman as much as they value men. Excluding the middle paragraph shows that Australia does not value Britain's rule as much as they did when the original text was written.