I Am Australian

"I Am/We are Australian" is a popular Australian song written in 1987 by Bruce Woodley of The Seekers and Dobe Newton of The Bushwackers. The music was composed by Bruce Woodley. Its lyrics are filled with many historic and cultural references, such as to the digger, Albert Namatjira and Ned Kelly, among others. Its popularity has allowed it to join the ranks of other patriotic songs considered as alternatives to the Australian National Anthem - Advance Australia Fair. It is commonly taught in primary schools. In 1996 the Salvation Army used the song in tv adverts for its Red Shield Appeal, raising funds to help people needing help.

The song also was released in 1997 by trio Judith Durham of The Seekers fame, Russell Hitchcock from Air Supply and Yothu Yindi's Mandawuy Yunupingu. EMI Australia released the single and it reached #17 on the Australian ARIA Charts in June.

Festivities

"I am Australian" is popular at celebrations such as Australia Day and New Year's Day, as it celebrates the diversity of Australian society - the lyrics to the chorus emphasise this: "We are one, but we are many, and from all the lands on Earth we come, we share a dream and sing with one voice - I am, you are, we are Australian"."I am Australian" is always played at citizenship ceremonies."I am Australian" is often sung by Australian fans at numerous sporting events. A famous rendition was given at the 1994 AFL Grand Final.

Telstra

In October 2003, in conjunction with the sponsorship of the 2003 Rugby World Cup, Australian telecommunications giant Telstra launched a new campaign centered around the song remixed and performed by Lo-Tel. It is often mistakingly credited to Rai Thistlethwayte, as the vocalists sound very similar. Telstra had bought the rights to the song a number of years before. The campaign was produced by advertising company Young and Rubicam.

In aid of the Farmhand Foundation's Drought Relief Appeal, Telstra released a CD of the Lo-Tel remix that sold for $6. A total of $100,000 was raised from the profits "($4.05 per CD)" generated from the sale of the CD.

In 2008, Telstra used a different version of the song recorded by the Sydney band, Botanics, for advertising their mobile coverage of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

References

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External links

* [http://users.bigpond.net.au/aussieconnection/chorus.htm Lyrics and REAL AUDIO recorded by Bruce Woodley and daughter Claire Woodley]
* [http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/i-am-australian.html Online Petition to adopt I Am Australian as the official national anthem of Australia]