Mateship is regarded as an Australian military virtue. For instance, the Australian Army Recruit Training Centre lists the "soldierly qualities" it seeks to instill as including "a will to win, dedication to duty, honour, compassion and honesty, mateship and teamwork, loyalty, and physical and moral courage." The word mate bloomed during World War I, when many trenches were being built because of the machine gun. Many trenches were built which often stretched miles across war grounds. The words “diggers” and “mate” gained the same meaning and became interchangeable.
Australians are free to be proud of their country and heritage, free to realise themselves as individuals, and free to pursue their hopes and ideals. We value excellence as well as fairness, independence as dearly as mateship.
Murray was not supportive of the inclusion of "mateship" in the preamble, stating that it was "blokeish" and "not a real word", but the Prime Minister insisted it be included as the term, he said, had "a hallowed place in the Australian lexicon". Howard reluctantly dropped the term from the preamble, after the Australian Democrats refused to allow it to be passed by the Senate where they held the balance of power. Since the referendum the Australian government has introduced the concept of mateship as a possible part of an Australian citizenship test, although it was unclear how endorsement of the values of mateship would be tested.
More than friendship
Mateship is a concept that can be traced back to early colonial times. The harsh environment in which convicts and new settlers found themselves meant that men and women closely relied on each other for all sorts of help. In Australia, a 'mate' is more than just a friend and is a term that implies a sense of shared experience, mutual respect and unconditional assistance. The term includes use in ways other than friendship like getting someone's attention, replacing a name, questioning a statement, letting one know to calm down and referring to someone in a rash or harsh way. The use of such in a harsh or negative way can be traced back to the word "bastard". Around the 16th century, the word "mate" adopted a similar meaning. Only within the last two centuries, has the term connected itself with a meaning of friendship.
