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Keep Australia White! [song by P. F. Collins, circa 1901-1918]

23 September 2015 · 2 Comments

[Editor: A song by P. F. Collins. Published as a single-sided song sheet, ca. 1901-1918.]

Australia’s song

Keep Australia White!

You sons of young Australia,
Come listen to my song,
I’ll tell you a little story
That won’t detain you long:
We’ve had good statesmen in the past, —
I think of them to-night, —
Who did their best in days gone by
To keep Australia White.

Chorus —

Keep Australia White, my boys,
Do keep Australia White,
Be staunch and true each one of you,
And keep Australia White.

We gave men power to make good laws,
For which they were well paid,
But, alas! it’s come to pass
That we have been betrayed.
You working men throughout the land,
Once more we say unite!
For the sake of home and children
Do keep Australia White.

Repeat Chorus —

We’ve had a strike, and lost it, too.
Because we met foul play;
Let’s pay the bill with interest
On the next election day.
And those who’d bring black labor here,
Oppose them with your might;
Tell those men you’ve made up your mind
To keep Australia White.

Repeat Chorus —

They want cheap labor there is no doubt,
For profit is their game;
And if you fail to do what’s right
You’ll have yourselves to blame.
So you who understand those things,
Go forth and spread the light —
This is a land worth keeping free,
Do keep Australia White.

P. F. COLLINS

People Printery, 16 George Street West, Sydney.



Source:
Keep Australia White [song sheet], Sydney: People Printery, [ca. 1901-1918]

[Editor: Corrected “yon long” to “you long”.]

Filed Under: songs Tagged With: @ yearTBA, P. F. Collins, racial poetry, song, SourceNLA

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mannskra says

    9 March 2016 at 06:19

    Great work!
    A nice little piece of Australian history.

    Reply
  2. jackson says

    23 June 2016 at 11:52

    I don’t like it i hate it

    Reply

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