"The Diggers of the Anzac (This Is Gallipoli)" (1981)
"True Blue" (1982)
"(You've Gotta Be) Fair Dinkum" (1982)
"True Blue" or "Hey, True Blue" is an Australian country music, folk song written and performed by singer-songwriter John Williamson. The lyrical content utilises Australian slang heavily, with the title meaning authentically Australian. The song was first released in March 1982, as a single from his compilation album, True Blue – The Best of John Williamson, but it failed to reach the Kent Music Report top100 singles chart. He re-recorded "True Blue" in 1986 and re-issued it as a single in that September, this version was used for the Australian Made advertising campaign managed by entrepreneur, John Singleton. It reached number43 on the singles chart.
"True Blue" was written by Australian singer-songwriter, John Robert Williamson as a country music, folk song.[1][2] The title is Australian slang for authentically Australian (from a British phrase).[3] He was asked to write the song by advertising entrepreneur, John Singleton for a proposed television show, which never eventuated.[4]
The 1986 version was used for the Australian Made campaign as managed by Singleton.[1][5] Williamson recalled in 1987, "I thought it would be a good idea to write a song for [the campaign]"; Singleton replied that Williamson had, "already written the ideal song back in 1982 with 'True Blue'."[5] The original lyrics contain numerous Australian slang and cultural terms. They included a reference to Vegemite, a yeast-extract paste; that term was removed in a later version because Williamson "just didn't want the song to be commercialised".[6] The song has been adopted by the Australia national cricket team and the Australia national rugby union team as an unofficial theme song and is often performed at sporting events or other ceremonies.[4]
Williamson performed the song in September 2006 on acoustic guitar at Australia Zoo during Steve Irwin's public memorial service (it was Irwin's favourite song): first, shortly after the beginning of the ceremony, and again at the end as Irwin's truck was driven out of the Crocoseum (crocodile exhibit) for the final time.[7]
In March 2009, Williamson performed a 30-minute musical, The Story of True Blue, which relates how an Australian cattle dog loses its family in a bushfire. It was narrated by Shannon Noll, and it combined stock men, livestock, motorbikes and circus performers.[8] In January 2018, as part of Triple M's "Ozzest 100", a list of the most Australian songs of all time, "True Blue" was ranked number 27.[9] The song was used at anti-immigration rallies in October 2025, without Williamson's approval.[10]
In the popular Australian kids TV show Bluey, a character named Pat can be heard singing parts of this song on two occasions.[11]
In 1986, Williamson re-recorded "True Blue" and released it in September 1986 as the lead single from his sixth studio album Mallee Boy. The song was used for the Australian Made campaign.[4] The song peaked at number43 on the Kent Music Report.[12][13] At the 1988 APRA Awards (Australia), the song won Most Performed Australasian Country Work.[14]
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