[Editor: This poem, about the Federation of Australia, was published in The Northern Star, and Richmond and Tweed Rivers Advocate (Lismore, NSW), 29 September 1900.]
Federation.
October 1st, 1900.
No sound of war, no din of strife
Re-echoed at thy birth,
But calm in peace thy star arose
Thou last-born of the earth.
Unsevered still, the tie that knits
Earth’s greatest land with thee;
The brightest gem in England’s crown —
Australia fair and free.
Now joined in one from sea to sea,
One common name we bear,
One nation now, one land we own,
One destiny we share.
Our own bright land, in days to come
Our care shall ever be —
To guard thine honour, seek thy good
And win renown for thee.
With noble deeds, with words of power
To grace our country’s name,
Till thou — the last in birth — shalt stand
The first in rank of fame.
Should hostile foes surround thy shores,
And evil days be nigh,
“A wall of fire” thy sons shall stand
To guard thee — or to die.
Fair be thy destiny and bright,
Land of the Southern Sea;
Full many a weary, exiled heart
Has found a home in thee.
Now rich and great be thy reward,
“The Strangers’ God” thy stay,
May he look down in love and bless
The Nation born to-day.
— Eileen.
Source:
The Northern Star, and Richmond and Tweed Rivers Advocate (Lismore, NSW), 29 September 1900, page 8
Also published in:
The Northern Star, and Richmond and Tweed Rivers Advocate (Lismore, NSW), 2 January 1901, page 8 [under the title of “Federated Australia”]
Editor’s notes:
This poem was credited to a poet simply known as “Eileen”; according to The Northern Star (Lismore, NSW), 2 January 1901, the poem was “written by a lady in the district” (no further details are available).
Editor’s notes:
din = a loud noise which continues for a significant amount of time, especially an unpleasant noise
nigh = near, close, especially regarding time or place (e.g. “the time was nigh”); approaching, nearly; almost
shalt = (archaic) shall
thee = (archaic) you (regarding a person as the object in a sentence)
thine = your (“thine”, meaning “your”, is usually placed before a word which begins with a vowel or a vowel sound, e.g. “To thine own self be true”); yours (“thine”, meaning “yours”, is the more common usage)
thou = (archaic) you (regarding a person as the subject in a sentence)
thy = (archaic) your
Was this written by Banjo Patterson? Was the song version the most played song in Australia in 1901?
According to the two newspapers cited above, this poem was written by someone known as “Eileen”.
The Northern Star (Lismore, NSW), of 2 January 1901, says that the poem was “written by a lady in the district”, giving no further information.
Regarding Banjo Paterson, the popular song which was written by him was “Waltzing Matilda”. See: http://www.australianculture.org/waltzing-matilda-1901/