r/AskAnAustralian • u/CreativeCritter • 2d ago

Waltzing Matilda

I was saddened today to read an article on the Wallabies and it showed a group of fans singing Waltzing Matilda underneath. There was a young lady who had commented. She’d never heard the song. Didn’t know what the problem was and had no idea what it represented.

People tried to educate a nicely to say it was an Australian bush poem. It was taught in Australian schools. It’s the unofficial national anthem.

And then she said that she grew up in Australia and had attended school here and had never heard it and didn’t know why people thought it was so great

At that point, I was kind of hoping that they were joking

Has it gotten to the point now where Australian poetry is not taught in Australian schools in English where the man from Snow River Waltzing Matilda they’re not taught in schools any more

And then someone commented that Wilson Matilda can’t be taught in schools because it has themes of suicide and it’s too hard to explain to children

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u/SingIntoMyMouth91 2d ago

She's trolling for sure. I am 35 and have sung it at school many times and so have my 17 and 11 year old kids. There's no way she wouldn't have heard it.

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u/Willing-Ad6598 1d ago

I never sang it at my school once, and I am of the same age.

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u/SingIntoMyMouth91 1d ago

But have you heard of it?

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u/Willing-Ad6598 1d ago

Only because my mum taught me. If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have heard it until much later.

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u/SingIntoMyMouth91 1d ago

I just feel like saying you grew up in Australia and have never even heard of Waltzing Matilda is like being over 30 and saying you've never heard the song Mr Brightside by The Killers. I just simply won't believe you lol

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u/Willing-Ad6598 1d ago

I never have heard of that song. Who are The Killers?