Neil Mitchell weighs in on push to sing Australian anthem in an Aboriginal language

A push for an Aboriginal Australian version of the national anthem to be sung alongside the English version is gaining momentum.

Olivia Fox sang the anthem in the Dharug language ahead of the Wallabies match against Argentina last month.

Now, NSW Australian of the Year, Shane Fitzsimmons, is calling for it to become common practice.

But Neil Mitchell says the idea is “potentially divisive”.

“There are 250 Aboriginal languages … 800 dialects. How do you decide which one it is?,” the 3AW Mornings host questioned.

“Is this really what Indigenous people want? Is it really a genuine sign on reconciliation?

“Or is it just an idea which makes trendy white people feel good?”

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Chairman of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, Warren Mundine, says choosing which Indigenous language to sing in could be a “problem”, but he “thinks it could” work.

“I reckon it actually brings us together. It makes us one,” he told Neil Mitchell.

Mr Mundine says the Indigenous version of the anthem could be selected based on where in Australia it was being sung.

“In Australia I think we could handle it through the different languages,” he said.

“The problem we have is in regard to overseas. What do we sing when we go over there?”

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