Commonwealth of Australia | The Sunshine State

The Sunshine State by prolific Queensland composer Clyde Collins was written for the centenary of Queensland in 1959. It is still performed regularly by bands and choirs, especially on Queensland Day, 6 June. The State Library owns the Clyde Collins Papers, a collection of his musical compositions, arrangements and writings.

Lyrics:
Life is great in the Sunshine State
Every Queensland heart sings a song
To its tablelands and its golden sands
We are proud to say we belong
And our faith is great in the Sunshine State
For our Queensland future is grand

From the northern cane to the western plain
It’s a full of promise land
All the while, every mile, there’s sunlit smile
And a welcome hand shake too
For friendship’s great in the Sunshine State
May its sunshine keep smiling for you!

All the while, every mile, there’s sunlit smile
And a welcome hand shake too
For friendship’s great in the Sunshine State
May its sunshine keep smiling for you!