The light on the hill (original) (raw)

"The light on the hill" is a phrase used to describe the objective of the Australian Labor Party. The phrase, which was used in a 1949 conference speech at the Sydney Trades Hall by then Prime Minister Ben Chifley, has Biblical origins. 'City upon a Hill' is a metaphor from the Salt and Light section of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. The speech, delivered near the end of Chifley's term as Prime Minister, pays tribute to the people who make up Australia's labour movement.