Aust veterans drop 'God Save the Queen'

Photo / Wairarapa Times-Age

AUSTRALIA: Australian war veterans have chipped off another chunk of Australia's royalist foundations with the decision to drop God Save the Queen from Melbourne's Anzac Day dawn service.

But the state's Returned and Services League (RSL) has angered monarchists, who consider that removal of the British anthem is disrespectful of Australia's military history.

Most other major Anzac services have already dumped God Save the Queen, singing instead God Defend New Zealand and Advance Australia Fair.

Advance Australia Fair, written by Scotsman Peter Dodd McCormick and first performed at a Sydney Highland festival in 1878, was adopted as the Australian national anthem in 1984.

In an earlier referendum, less than 20 per cent of voters had wanted to retain God Save the Queen.

Australian Anzac services have also emphasised transtasman ties, with New Zealand veterans marching ahead of Australians in major parades, and British, Commonwealth and allied veterans bringing up the rear.

RSL Victorian president David McLachlan said the decision to drop God Save the Queen had been made after feedback from war veterans and young people.

He told ABC radio that a range of people were asked for their opinions after every dawn service.

"The question often comes up, 'Why do you have God Save the Queen? It's not relevant and no one knows it'," he said.

But Australians for Constitutional Monarchy national convener Professor David Flint said God Save the Queen remained Australia's royal anthem and was part of the dawn service tradition.

"[The RSL] certainly hasn't done the right thing," he said.

"You just don't trample over your traditions.

"You don't say, 'Well, that's the past and we're going to get rid of it', otherwise you start doing other things as well, which takes away the whole point."


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