It’s that time of year again, and nothing stirs up the Chrissy nostalgia and tinselled, sentimental homesickness more than a proper Aussie Christmas carol.
Here’s our top five Christmas songs that best capture that uniquely Australian Yuletide vibe, reminding us of just how much we miss our friends and family at home Down Under.
Wish we were there…
1) White Wine in the Sun – Tim Minchin
Top billing in every Aussie expat’s Christmas playlist. Yeah we still really like Christmas too, Tim. Oh stop it now; it’s beautiful, you’re making us think too much… and you’re making us cry.
2) Aussie Jingle Bells – Bucko & Champs
A rippa all the way, and worth it just for the line: “And we all shoot through, before the washing up. Hey!”
3) Six White Boomers – Russell Coight
Ok, so why Russel Coight? Well, the original and best version of this classic Australian Christmas ditty is by Rolf Harris but we like to think happy thoughts at Chrissy, don’t we. Bucko & Champs also do a Christmas cracker of a version, but we’ve already given them a guernsey. So it’s left to old mate Russ to deliver the goods.
4) Australian 12 Days of Christmas – by some unknown choral group with plum pudding in their mouths
We all know and love this one, and there are a Santa sack full of different takes on it. This one’s delightfully old-school.
While we’re at it, in the Yuletide spirit of international relations, we like to add a special mention here to the hands-down best version of The 12 Days of Christmas; the absolutely hilarious Irish one by Frank Kelly, aka Father Jack from ‘Father Ted’…
5) Carol of the Birds / Christmas Photo – John Williamson
You can practically smell the gum trees in this lesser known but absolutely gorgeous traditional Australian Christmas carol, sung here by ‘True Blue’ John Williamson at Carols By Candlelight in Melbourne. And what would an Aussie Chrissy be without a bit of Carols By Candlelight? Plus, in this vid we get the added bonus of John’s own down-home Christmas Photo.