[Editor: This song by Caroline Carleton was the winner of the 1859 “Song of Australia” competition to find an Australian patriotic song.]
The prize song.
As we have already stated, the honor of writing the Prize Song belongs to Mrs. Carleton, of West-terrace ; and we now, without further preface, give the song itself to our readers. We should remark that the Gawler Institute, in terms of their advertisement, claim the copyright of the song :
The Song of Australia.
There is a land, where summer skies
Are gleaming with a thousand dyes,
Blending in witching harmonies ;
And grassy knoll and forest height
Are flushing in the rosy light,
And all above is azure bright —
Australia!
There is a land where honey flows,
Where laughing corn luxuriant grows,
Land of the myrtle and the rose ;
On hill and plain the clust’ring vine
Is gushing out with purple wine,
And cups are quaffed to thee and thine —
Australia!
There is a land where treasures shine
Deep in the dark unfathomed mine
For worshippers at Mammon’s shrine —
Where gold lies hid, and rubies shine ;
And fabled wealth no more doth seem
The idle fancy of a dream —
Australia !
There is a land where homesteads peep
From sunny plain and woodland steep,
And love and joy bright vigils keep ;
Where the glad voice of childish glee
Is mingling with the melody
Of nature’s hidden minstrelsy —
Australia!
There is a land where floating free,
From mountain-top to girdling sea
A proud flag waves exultingly;
And FREEDOM’S sons the banner bear,
No shackled slave can breathe the air —
Fairest of Britain’s daughters fair —
Australia!
Source:
The South Australian Advertiser (Adelaide, SA), Friday 21 October 1859, page 3
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