"It’s a special song for us": Iva Davies speaks to TMN as Qantas unveils Great Southern Land plane

Qantas has officially unveiled the first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane in Australia which is named after the Icehouse hit song, ’Great Southern Land’.

Earlier this year the airline reached out to the general public for suggestions on what to name each of their eight new Dreamliner aircraft, with Great Southern Land being chosen for the first aircraft out of 45,000 names received.

"Given that the song is 37 years old, all of us were incredibly honoured," Iva Davies told TMN.

"It’s a special song for us anyway. For decades we’ve used it as our benchmark soundcheck song, so it’s got more than one element of importance to us."

While it’s not the first time Icehouse have been part of a tourism-focused campaign, this time Davies has a particular interest in the project.

"Qantas is one of those Australian companies that’s in the DNA of Australian culture. There’s something particular, almost indescribable, about getting on a Qantas plane to come home from overseas".

"Alan Joyce quoted to me the first two lines of Great Southern Land - "Standing at the limit of an endless ocean / Stranded like a runaway, lost at sea" - and it’s that tuning of distance that they’re trying to work on with this new aircraft."

Icehouse are currently celebrating the 40th anniversary of live performances and 30 years since the release of their groundbreaking Man of Colours album, and are about to complete a run of shows across the country.