Yass weighs into Aboriginal debate about national anthem

COMMUNITY: A local Aboriginal identity has weighed into the debate over Wagga Wagga’s Citizen of the Year refusing to stand for the national anthem on Australia Day.

Cecilia Pavlovic, who identifies as Wiradjuri descendant and is a member of the Aboriginal community in Yass, sang the national anthem during Australia Day celebrations in Coronation Park, and has done so for several years.

She respects Wagga Wagga mental health advocate Joe Williams’ choice to remain seated for the anthem, unlike Wagga Wagga councillor Paul Funnell, who has made calls for the award to be returned and for Mr Williams to “show manners” and follow protocol.

“On the day he received that award he didn’t stand up for the anthem; look I understand Joe’s position and I also watched his interview on The Project and I believe he is a very respectful young man,” she told Scoop.

“He was standing up for his convictions, I am a proud Wiradjuri woman and I believe Joe is Wiradjuri too, and I actually sang the anthem on Australia Day and was also incredibly humbled to be able to raise the Australian flag with our Mayor as an Aboriginal woman.”

Yass Valley Mayor Rowena Abbey and Cecilia Pavlovic raise the flag on Australia Day, 2016. PHOTO Alex Tewes

Before her performance she paid tribute to late Ngunnawal Elder Eric Bell, who was a regular fixture at Australia Day ceremonies where he performed the traditional Welcome to Country.

“From my perspective I think the anthem and the day we celebrate Australia Day are two separate issues. I tend to agree that it would be a good idea to change the day, just because it presses a lot of buttons for Aboriginal people.

“Australia Day is the day that Captain Arthur Phillip arrived on our shores with the first fleet of convicts and from that was triggered a great amount of atrocities upon our community.

“So I don’t perceive it being a big issue changing the day of Australia Day.”

VIDEO: Cecilia Pavlovic singing Advance Australia Fair. The accompaniment began in a lower key to what she has sung in previous years but she adjusted within several bars to provide a moving performance.

The anthem itself, however, could be perceived as inappropriate for Aboriginal communities, particularly the final verse (see lyrics below).

“If you analyse the lyrics of it you could take it quite personally as an Aboriginal person,” Mrs Pavlovic said.

“But having said all of that, my mother is white of Irish descent, my grandfather made bombs for the war because he couldn’t go to the war because he had flat feet; that anthem is significant to me as an Australian.

“People died for that anthem in this country. When I sing that song, I own it. I own it proudly as an Australian. As an Australian Aboriginal woman – I don’t separate the two. I’m an ‘Australian’ ‘Aboriginal’ woman.”

She said her ideal solution to the problem would be if the first verse of the anthem could be sung in Aboriginal dialect.

Aboriginal community member Cecilia Pavlovic singing the national anthem during Australia Day celebrations this year. PHOTO Katharyn Brine

“My pie in the sky would be that the first verse could be sung in dialect and the second in english, but I don’t know how feasible that is.

“I just have a deep dream and hope for reconciliation. Great pain happened to my community and I think that there’s a point where we can’t keep looking out, we have to look within. That’s a journey of healing.

“Our government has said sorry to us for removing Aboriginal children [from their families]. Most white people I speak to – and I’ve got white friends and family – feel heartbreakingly sad about the terrible things that have happened to the community.

“There’s a minority of ignorant white people, there’s a minority of ignorant Aboriginal people, but generally, I think people want to work cohesively and heal together.”

She said Australia has a black history and that history affects every Australian, not just Aboriginal people.

“The more we try and remove ourselves from things such as the anthem, we are making it a debate about ‘us’ and ‘them’.

However, she meant no disrespect to Mr Williams.

“Joe Williams exercised his right to make that choice and he clearly felt convicted in it.

“Living in this beautiful country Australia we can all have our own convictions and that makes up the fabric of our beautiful country, that we all have different perspectives and can be convictive in different ways.

“And I wish people would be more passionate like Joe and follow their heart and their spirit and facilitate change.

“But I’m proud – I can’t tell you how proud I was singing that anthem on that day.”

This was the third time Mrs Pavlovic, who is a singing instructor, has sung the anthem for Australia Day.

“The honour never fades, it is always significant and beautiful.

“We can’t change other people, we can only change ourselves and for me, I choose to look forward and look within and look for deep healing for all of us.

“We can only change how we perceive a situation and if we are feeling angry about things all the time, … it’s about recognising that I’m a citizen of Australia; I’m Aboriginal, I’m Irish, there’s probably a bit of English in there. But at the forefront, I’m Australian.

“In that, I stand shoulder to shoulder with other Aboriginal people, Indian people, Chinese people; we are all Australian, and it’s about being together in that.”

Advance Australia Fair lyrics

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We’ve golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature’s gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history’s page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
“Advance Australia fair!” 

When gallant Cook from Albion sail’d,
To trace wide oceans o’er,
True British courage bore him on,
Till he landed on our shore.
Then here he raised Old England’s flag,
The standard of the brave;
With all her faults we love her still,
“Brittannia rules the wave!”
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!” 

Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We’ll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who’ve come across the seas
We’ve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!” 

While other nations of the globe
Behold us from afar,
We’ll rise to high renown and shine
Like our glorious southern star;
From England, Scotia, Erin’s Isle,
Who come our lot to share,
Let all combine with heart and hand
To advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!” 

Should foreign foe e’er sight our coast,
Or dare a foot to land,
We’ll rouse to arms like sires of yore
To guard our native strand;
Brittannia then shall surely know,
Beyond wide ocean’s roll,
Her sons in fair Australia’s land
Still keep a British soul.
In joyful strains then let us sing
“Advance Australia fair!” 

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