Mary Gilmore, "Old Botany Bay", quoted in E. Morris Miller, Australian Literature, 2nd ed. (1956), p. 194
• See also "Botany Bay" (1885)
• See also "Botany Bay" (1885)
“
Shame on the mouth
That would deny
The knotted hands
That set us high!
— Australia
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Shame on the mouth
That would deny
The knotted hands
That set us high!" in the context of "Mary Gilmore, "Old Botany Bay", quoted in E. Morris Miller, Australian Literature, 2nd ed. (1956), p. 194
• See also "Botany Bay" (1885)" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Australia" (Quotes, 20th century, 1950s)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed February 05, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the island of Tasmania and a number of other islands in the Indian, Southern and Pacific Oceans. Australia claims approximately two-fifths of Antarctica, but this is not widely recognized. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and its head of state is the monarch, King Charles III. Australian English is the de facto national language.
About Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the mainland of the world's smallest continent, the island of Tasmania and a number of other islands in the Indian, Southern and Pacific Oceans. Australia claims approximately two-fifths of Antarctica, but this is not widely recognized. It is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and its head of state is the monarch, King Charles III. Australian English is the de facto national language.
View all quotes →