Our flag

While I advocate an Australian republic (in my view we are effectively one now - the British monarch has no effective say in how we govern ourselves), I don't advocate a change in our flag.

I found this wonderful piece of poetry here (I'm unable to find who the author was/is)

Our flag bears the stars that shine at night
In our southern sky of blue
And there's a little old flag in the corner
That is part of our heritage too,
It's the English, the Scots and the Irish
Who were sent to the end of the earth
The rogues and the schemers, the doers and dreamers
Who gave modern Australia birth.
And you who are shouting to change it
You don't seem to understand
It's the flag of our laws and language
Not the flag of some far away land
Though, there's plenty who'll tell if you ask them
How when Europe was plunged into night
How that little old flag in the corner
Was a symbol of freedom and light.
It don't mean we owe our allegiance
To some forgotten imperial dream
We've got the stars to show where we're going
And the old flag to show where we've been
It's only an old piece of bunting
It's only an old coloured rag
But there's thousands who died for its honor
And fell in defence of our flag.