"Advance Australia Fair" is the official national anthem of Australia.
Originally composed by Peter Dodds McCormick in the late 19th century (first performance at Sydney on St Andrew's Day,1878), it emerged as the most popular choice for the national anthem after an opinion poll in 1974 (the Australian Bureau of Statistics polled 60,000 nationally) and the National Song Poll in 1977 (where it garnered 43.6% of the vote) against "Waltzing Matilda" (which attracted 28.5% of the votes), the "Song Of Australia" (9.7%), and the then-current "God Save the Queen" (18.7%).
It was eventually officially adopted as the national anthem by the Governor-General in 1984. In the process, the second, fourth, and fifth verses were dropped from the "official" version, as they emphasised the British aspects of Australia's heritage, along with the virtues of Britain, and three lines were changed:
The national anthem, though sung with enthusiasm at national celebrations, is still regarded by many with mixed feelings and many older people still struggle with the words. Some of the lyrics, particularly the word "girt", are odd by modern standards, and the tune is generally regarded as uninspiring by comparison with "La Marseillaise", or "Land of Hope and Glory" (the English anthem with a tune borrowed from Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" march). "Advance Australia Fair" at least has the merit of being much easier to sing than "The Star Spangled Banner", and the lyrics do express relatively uncontroversial Australian self-beliefs and aspirations. Some ambiguity comes from the enduring popularity of "Waltzing Matilda", which is generally regarded as a much finer tune and has been part of the Australian imagination almost since its composition 120 years ago. However, Matilda's lyrics, detailing the exploits of an itinerant who steals a sheep and then drowns himself in an effort to avoid capture by the police and the local squatter, are regarded by some Australians as unsuitable as an expression of Australian values, and, indeed, as suitable topics for discussion in a national anthem.
Other tunes that have gained recognition in the popular mind as patriotic songs include the pop ballad "I Still Call Australia Home", by Peter Allen and the reggae-influenced rock song "Down Under" by band Men At Work. Also gaining popularity is "We Are Australian" by The Seekers.
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2 Lyrics 3 External Links |
It was first peformed, in its pro-British form (see below), on Nov 30 1878 in Sydney during a Highland Society function.
Before its adoption as Australia's national anthem, it saw considerable use elsewhere. For instance, during World War II, Australia's ABC used it to announce its news bulletins. It was also frequently played at the start or closing of official functions.
Historical notes
Lyrics
The official version
Dodds' original lyrics
External Links