A number of prominent Aboriginal leaders have spoken out, saying they are not particularly in favour of changing the date.

I mostly see white people pushing the date change barrow.

I wonder how many activists would be happy to hand their house and land back if they genuinely believe their own rhetoric.

“And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wond’rous glory of the everlasting stars.”

These are the last two lines from a verse of “Clancy of the Overflow” by J B Patterson. See here. Excerpt below.

In my wild erratic fancy visions come to me of Clancy
Gone a-droving `down the Cooper' where the Western drovers go;
As the stock are slowly stringing, Clancy rides behind them singing,
For the drover's life has pleasures that the townsfolk never know.

And the bush hath friends to meet him, and their kindly voices greet him
In the murmur of the breezes and the river on its bars,
And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars.

Interesting article about whether Clancy was based on a real person at

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandarts/clancy-of-the-overflow-a-real-person/5290136

Thanks RnR, interesting story about Clancy. I didnt know he responded to Banjo in verse. It was a regular feature in the Sydney paper to see Lawson and Banjo banter in verse. There's a touch of that in "Clancy of the overflow." Must have been very entertaining in the day?

I know Banjo was born and mostly lived in NSW, but his inspiration for the writing of Waltzing Matilda came from a little town in QLD called Winton where Dinasour Fossils have been discovered and just a short drive north is a town called McKinley with one pub and a library, The pub featured in the movie "Crocodile Dundee" and still bears the name as Mick Dundee as a licencee. The music to Waltzing Matilda however, was not thought up by Banjo but copied from some musos playing at a race meeting in Victoria.

Now back to the question? If in the early part of the last century we placed little importance on plagerism then perhaps these 2 famous lines were Dorothea Mackellar's? 

And he sees the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended,
And at night the wond'rous glory of the everlasting stars.

For those 2 lines alone are worthy of a spot on an Australian banknote.

Where did you come by the idea that those two lines were plagiarised from DM Frank? Just interested and any references would be appreciated.

Common knowledge up around those parts. I've been there and seen Banjo's billabong, I've done my own investigating, asked questions, talked to old timers etc. Just something I came across.

I'm waiting for Trove to digitise more, there may be a reference in the Sydney papers. I have heard that Dorothea Mackellar had written those two lines, which may have been published, in defence of the man in the bush.

Absolute rubbish Frank...You "heard?" Bring some proof which I doubt will ever be forthcoming..because it does not exist..

Banjo Paterson's "Clancy" was published in 1889.. Nowhere in any poetry circles have I heard that he "stole" any of his lines from Dorothea M..

In 1908..Dorothea M wrote a poem about Australia while she was still in England and called it "Core of my Heart"..it was published in the London Spectator..

It took her four years to rewrite the poem and later called it "My Country" and this was published in 1911 in Australia...

She never wrote the  lines you mention..

"Clancy of the Overflow" was first published in The Bulletin on 21 December 1889.

Dorothea Mackellar was born on 1 July 1885, about four and a half years previously.

:) Quite a feat for a four-year-old child to write those lines.

Frank..you ought to learn how to  play the "Tuba"..it needs a lot of hot air to function !

Amazing what you can learn about the country by talking to retired breakers who are the sons of breakers. 

Yeah, like Chinese whispers. A whole lota nothing, LOL

What an obnoxious woman 

lol - yeah well Raph - does know all about the "Tuba" and "hot air" - lol lol lol - must be talking from experience???   .........   :-)

Why don't you two join Brocky. I believe he's on holiday cruising down the Amazon in piranha infested waters.

I'm confused.

Which part is confusing? Are you saying that such a harsh environment cannot be loved? 

Shades of the medical clinic I go to...no Merry Christmas sign...just "be Merry"

The Council sound like they are, to use that old Australian slang, "Stone Cold Yarra".  They can't bring in such a law?  Is this the same council that refused to have an Australia Day Citizenship ceremony?

Hola, when Yarra Council and Darebin council refused to acknowledge Australia Day, the PM promptly told them, quite rightly,  they would not be allowed to hold citizenship ceremonies.