The Song of Australia

On 1 October 1859, the South Australian Register announced: A few weeks later, the judges announced the winner, and the second stage of the competition: The winner was announced in early November: ==Lyrics==

This is the poem as published in The South Australian Register on 21 October 1859: ==Criticism==

Publication of Caroline Carleton's poem caused immediate controversy, generally along the lines that it was nice poetry, but "too tame". One person regretted that nothing more inspiring than the colour of the sky and the prettiness of the scenery could be found for the poem. Another wondered "how hidden wealth could gleam in the darkness". Someone else complained that the poem could equally refer to, say, California, while another commentator longed for a time when such a peaceful song accorded with international politics, and regretted that the contest was restricted to South Australians, that the prize was so paltry, and there was no mention of sheep. The Advertiser of 24 October, gave a spirited defence of the judges, and of Mrs. Carleton's poem, culminating in several parodies purporting to be the "real Song of Australia". ==Performances and public reaction==

One of its first public performances was by the Adelaide Liedertafel, conducted by Herr Linger, for a South Australian Institute soirée at White's Rooms, King William Street, Adelaide, on 14 December 1859. The song, played by orchestra and chorus under Professor Joshua Ives, was a feature of the opening ceremony of the Adelaide Jubilee International Exhibition in 1887. "Song of Australia" was a particular favourite of the Australian baritone Peter Dawson. who called it "the finest national anthem ever written". His notable performances included: • Recital in London as a duet with Richard Nitschke in 1905. • Duet with Clara Serena at Wembley on (the then) Australia Day 24 July 1924. • A gramophone recording His Master's Voice EA1003 of Dawson and vocal quartet singing "Song of Australia" was released in 1932. In June, 1936, in conjunction with the German-Australian Centenary celebrations, a memorial to Carl Linger was unveiled at the West Terrace Cemetery and its chairman, Heinrich Krawinkel, announced the imminent broadcast of "Song of Australia" from the short-wave transmitters of Radio Berlin. ==Proposed national anthem==

In 1924, George Edwin Yates, the federal member for Adelaide, proposed in parliament that the song be adopted as the national anthem. He proceeded to sing the first verse, despite the objections of his fellow members. The song was one of four included in a national plebiscite to choose Australia's national song in 1977. Nationwide it was the least popular of the four choices, but it had the distinction of being the most popular choice in South Australia. This result can be attributed to the fact of "Advance Australia Fair" being exposed to schoolchildren in the more populous States, where "The Song of Australia" was sung in schools only in South Australia and, to a lesser extent, in Western Australia and Tasmania. The four songs in the plebiscite were "Waltzing Matilda"; the then anthem, "God Save the Queen"; the now current anthem, "Advance Australia Fair"; and "Song of Australia". ==In popular culture==

"Song of Australia" is featured in the TV series ANZAC Girls, episode 4, "Love", in which the Peter Dawson recording is played on a wind-up gramophone in several scenes, and sung in snatches by "Pat Dooley" (Brandon McClelland) while digging a latrine pit. ==See also==