A National Song [17 April 1900]

A National Song.

Up, up, Australians, shout aloud
Our strain of jubilee;
Be brave in war, in peace be proud
Of our grand liberty;
With thousand sounding voices fill
The regions of the air.—
Far over gum-clad vale and hill
Shout, shout Australia.

Wave Austral’s standard to the skies,
Its stars imperious toss:
The flag shall be the nation’s guise,—
Where duty calls, there shall arise
Australia’s starry cross.

Let lands of sundered parentage
Divided fight, but we
Possess one princely heritage,
One mother — great and free;
Then rouse, Australians — brothers all,
Our star-flag proud uprear;
Nor let it droop, nor let it fall,
For fair Australia.

Up, up, Australians, for the right;
Fear God, and love the truth;
As floats athwart our sky of night
The Star-cross of the South,
So are we blest of God, the sign
Is His own courier
Of peace and plenty — proof divine
God loves Australia.

And as that Star-cross rules the night
Among the myriad stars,
As midst the flashing star-dust’s light
Its fires them all surpass,
So at the smoke-wreath’d cannon’s mouth
Triumphant shall appear
The Star-cross Banner of the South —
Advance Australia.

— W. Henry Elsum.
Williamstown.

Source:
West Gippsland Gazette (Warragul, Vic.), Tuesday 17 April 1900, page 6