"We're All Australians Now"

The poem

Australia takes her pen in hand To write a line to you, To let you fellows understand How proud we are of you. From shearing shed and cattle run, From Broome to Hobson's Bay, Each native-born Australian son Stands straighter up today.

The man who used to "hump his drum", On far-out Queensland runs Is fighting side by side with some Tasmanian farmer's sons.

The fisher-boys dropped sail and oar To grimly stand the test, Along that storm-swept Turkish shore, With miners from the west.

The old state jealousies of yore Are dead as Pharaoh's sow, We're not State children any more -- We're all Australians now!

Our six-starred flag that used to fly Half-shyly to the breeze, Unknown where older nations ply Their trade on foreign seas,

Flies out to meet the morning blue With Vict'ry at the prow; For that's the flag the Sydney flew, The wide seas know it now!

The mettle that a race can show Is proved with shot and steel, And now we know what nations know And feel what nations feel.

The honoured graves beneath the crest Of Gaba Tepe hill May hold our bravest and our best, But we have brave men still.

With all our petty quarrels done, Dissensions overthrown, We have, through what you boys have done, A history of our own.

Our old world diff'rences are dead, Like weeds beneath the plough, For English, Scotch, and Irish-bred, They're all Australians now!

So now we'll toast the Third Brigade That led Australia's van, For never shall their glory fade In minds Australian.

Fight on, fight on, unflinchingly, Till right and justice reign. Fight on, fight on, till Victory Shall send you home again.

And with Australia's flag shall fly A spray of wattle-bough To symbolise our unity -- We're all Australians now.