Scott Morrison’s daughter Lily stole the limelight at Australia Day celebration

A poem written by Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s daughter Lily has stolen the show at an Australia Day ceremony in Canberra.

Speaking at the National Citizenship and Flag Raising ceremony, Mr Morrison beamed with pride as he shared her addition to Dorothea Mackellar’s My Country.

“I could not express my love for this country better than the young girl who wrote this verse … It’s called My Land Australia,” he told the crowd.

“My land called Australia. My heart soiled in loving grace. My cherished home filled with love and ancient dreaming. The high mountain ranges in between my gazes with the outback on the horizon we can see new beginnings.

“Through fire, famine, flood and pandemics, it’s going, going, going. We will never tire out. We’ll keep our flags up and let it fly, fly, fly. Australia, my land, my country of hardship, my country of grace, my country of stars.

“Don’t care how much you try to persuade me, give me books, money and lovely birch trees. Nothing can take my love from this land. Nothing can take the smile off my face when we get a sunburn and lie for a bit, my friends and family can ride together down to the river, beach or bay, we can sit and reminisce about the time the sun sprays.

“Yes, of course you can do that anywhere but can you see the drop bears there?”

He later revealed the author was his own daughter, 12-year-old Lily.

The Canberra citizenship ceremony is just one of thousands events being held across the country on Wednesday.

Mr Morrison paid tribute to the grit Australians have shown over the past two years.

“These have been some of the toughest years, if not the toughest, we have known since the times of war and the Great Depression,” the Prime Minister said.

“At such times we are sustained by many things. Our family, our friends, our community, our faith, and we are thankful. But today I am just filled with thanks and gratitude for the nation we are blessed to live in as a people.”

Governor -General David Hurley also acknowledged the challenges Australians face.

“I know there are challenges, I see them every day. I know there are tough days, we’ve wept with people, we’ve comforted people, but we are at heart a good people,” he said.

“We’re the product of our past, and the sum of each of our individual stories and you, our newest citizens, add to that rich mix and add to our story with your own. That, I believe is worth celebrating here on Australia Day.”