Description
TEACHING RESOURCE FOR INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE VERSION OF “ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR” – $25
FROM THE AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN’S MUSIC FOUNDATION (ACMF)
This version of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ using a combination of Dharawal and Dharug languages was written for the children of Soldiers’ Settlement School, Matraville, Sydney. Uncle Matthew Doyle, a community elder, musician, composer, performer and school parent wrote the words. It is not a direct translation of the English words used in the song. Ben Sibson, in collaboration with Uncle Matthew Doyle, created the backing track.
The ZIP file that you can download contains four MP3 audio files – the full version of ‘Advance Australia Fair’ with sung lyrics and no lyrics, one track of the phrases in Dharawal/Dharug, and one track of individual words in Dharawal/Dharug. It also contains a PDF with teaching notes, written lyrics and pronunciation guides, and implementation notes.
The ACMF strongly encourages anyone who wants to implement this song in their school to first consult with their local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) or equivalent Indigenous education advisory body regarding the appropriateness of this version. Remember that for your school, Dharawal and Dharug may not be the local Indigenous languages.
When you are introducing a song like this in a school community, having local Aboriginal support is invaluable. It may be worth contacting your Local Aboriginal Land Council, Aboriginal parents in your school, or other local Indigenous groups or individuals to discuss the implementation of this version of Advance Australia Fair.
