A National Declaration

What It Means
To Be Australian

One poem. Many voices. One country.

In a time when the silence became too loud, imagine if a chorus of Australian voices brought life to a simple poem - a national declaration of the Australian spirit. To remind ourselves and the world of who we truly are.

Read the Poem
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The Moment

"When violent acts made headlines, too few voices rose to say:
this is not who we are."

This declaration was written in response - not with anger, but with love. Love for a country that is generous, warm, funny, tough, and beautifully, irreducibly diverse. A reminder to ourselves and to the world of what Australia actually is. And a clear statement of what it is not.

What It Means To Be Australian

A Daughter of Australia

It means to Love a Sunburnt Country To always stand by your mate Cheeky grins and helping hands and mum calling as the screen door swings "don't forget to shut the gate"!
It means eskies and sharing a cold one It's prawns on Christmas Day It's wearing hats all year round and cooking eggs on the ground I'll tell you what it isn't though… it isn't hate.
See… we do giant bugs and creepy critters Some of the world's deadliest snakes. We do wild weather and disasters! But no… we don't do hate.
We fuse every type of cuisine Music, language and faith. We have skins of every colour. But no… we don't do hate.
All Aussies come from somewhere, From some time – either ancient or of late. We share refuge, safety and welcome. But no… we don't share hate.
With a nod to Dorothea Mackellar, whose sunburnt country we still call home.

© 2025 A Daughter of Australia. All rights reserved.

The Vision

Beloved Australian voices.
Speaking these words together.

Imagine if beloved personalities from Australian sport, screen, music and public life came together to speak this poem as one. Professionally produced. Non-political. Free of any commercial agenda. A declaration of who we are, for Australia and for the world.

In 1985, musicians from across the world gave their time freely to record "We Are the World" - and created a cultural moment that transcended its cause. The spirit is the same. The need is different now.

Built on three principles

No
Politics

No party. No government position. No international conflict. Only shared Australian identity.

No
Profit

No individual - including the author - receives any financial benefit from this project.

No
Compromise

On quality. On integrity. On the purity of the message.

Get Involved

This declaration already lives in the hearts of most Australians. It's time to say it out loud.

We are seeking expressions of interest - not commitments, not contracts. Just a conversation about whether you believe in what this poem says.

Track A
Talent

Are you an Australian with a public voice and a belief in this message? We would love to hear from you.

Track B
Production

Are you a producer, director, broadcaster, or funder who wants to help bring this to life?

daughter@whatitmeanstobeaustralian.com.au

No commitment required. Just a conversation.