NATIONAL ANTHEMS OF AUSTRALIA: ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR

"Advance Australia Fair" is the national anthem of Australia. Written by Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878, sung in Australia as a patriotic song. It first replaced "God Save the Queen" as the official national anthem in 1974, following a nationwide opinion survey. "God Save the Queen" was reinstated in January 1976, but a plebiscite to choose the national song in 1977 preferred "Advance Australia Fair", which was restored in 1984. "God Save the King/Queen" became known as the royal anthem, which is used at public engagements attended by the King or members of the Royal Family. The 1984 version of "Advance Australia Fair" has lyrics modified from McCormick's original and verses trimmed down from four to two. In January 2021, the lyrics were changed again.

"Advance Australia Fair" was published in early December 1878 by Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick (1833–1916) under the pen-name "Amicus" (which means "friend" in Latin).[1] It was first sung by Andrew Fairfax, accompanied by a concert band conducted by McCormick, at a function of the Highland Society of New South Wales in Sydney on 30 November 1878 (Saint Andrew's Day). The song gained in popularity and an amended version was sung by a choir of around 10,000 at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on 1 January 1901. In 1907 the Australian Government awarded McCormick £100 for his composition.

In a letter to R.B. Fuller dated 1 August 1913, McCormick described the circumstances that inspired him to write Advance Australia Fair:

"One night I attended a great concert in the Exhibition Building, when all the National Anthems of the world were to be sung by a large choir with band accompaniment. This was very nicely done, but I felt very aggravated that there was not one note for Australia. On the way home in a bus, I concocted the first verse of my song & when I got home I set it to music. I first wrote it in the Tonic Sol-fa notation, then transcribed it into the Old Notation, & I tried it over on an instrument next morning, & found it correct. Strange to say there has not been a note of it altered since. Some alteration has been made in the wording, but the sense is the same. It seemed to me to be like an inspiration, & I wrote the words & music with the greatest ease."

The earliest known sound recording of "Advance Australia Fair" appears in The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt (circa 1916), a short commercial recording dramatising the arrival of Australian troops in Egypt en route to Gallipoli.

Before its adoption as Australia's national anthem, "Advance Australia Fair" had considerable use elsewhere. For example, Australia's national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, used it to announce its news bulletins until 1952. It was also frequently played at the start or end of official functions. Towards the end of World War II it was one of three songs played in certain picture theatres, along with "God Save the King" and the US national anthem.

Other songs and marches have been influenced by "Advance Australia Fair", such as the Australian vice-regal salute.

In 1973, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his government, desiring to forge a new nationalism separate from the United Kingdom, decided that Australia needed a national anthem that could represent the country with "distinction", and they held a competition to find one to replace the existing anthem, "God Save the Queen". In January of that year, Whitlam dedicated an entire Australia Day speech to the search for a new anthem, referring to it as a "symbolic expression of our national pride and dignity". The Australia Council for the Arts organised the contest, which was dubbed the "Australian National Anthem Quest". The contest was held in two stages, the first seeking lyrics and the second music, each having a large prize of A$5,000 for the winning entry. On the recommendation of the Council for the Arts, none of the new entries was felt worthy enough, so the contest ended with suggestions for "Advance Australia Fair", "Waltzing Matilda" and "The Song of Australia".

In 1974 the Whitlam government performed a nationwide opinion survey to determine the song to be sung on occasions of national significance. Conducted through the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the survey polled 60,000 people nationally. Advance Australia Fair was chosen by 51.4% of respondents and, on 9 April of that year, Whitlam announced in parliament that it was the national anthem. It was to be used on all occasions excepting those of a specifically regal nature. A spokesman for Whitlam later stated that the Government regarded the tune, primarily, as the national anthem. During the 1975 election campaign following the dismissal of Whitlam by Sir John Kerr, David Combe proposed that the song be played at the start of the Labor Party's official campaign launch on 24 November 1975 at Festival Hall, Melbourne. Whitlam's speechwriter Graham Freudenberg rejected this idea because, among other reasons, the status of the anthem at that point was still tentative.

On 22 January 1976 the Fraser government reinstated "God Save the Queen" as the national anthem for use at royal, vice-regal, defence and loyal toast occasions. Fraser stated that "Advance Australia Fair", "Song of Australia" or "Waltzing Matilda" could be used for non-regal occasions. His government made plans to conduct a national poll to find a song for use on ceremonial occasions when it was desired to mark a separate Australian identity. This was conducted as a plebiscite to choose the National Song, held as an optional additional question in the 1977 referendum on various issues. On 23 May the government announced the results, "Advance Australia Fair" received 43.29% of the vote, defeating the three alternatives, "Waltzing Matilda" (28.28%), "The Song of Australia" (9.65%) and the existing national anthem, "God Save the Queen" (18.78%).

"Advance Australia Fair", with modified lyrics and reduced to two verses (see development of lyrics), was adopted as the Australian national anthem by the Labor government of Bob Hawke, coming into effect on 19 April 1984. At the same time, "God Save the King/Queen" became known as the royal anthem, and continues to be played alongside the Australian national anthem at public engagements in Australia that are attended by the King or members of the Royal Family.

Even though any personal copyright of Peter Dodds McCormick's original lyrics has expired, as he died in 1916, the Commonwealth of Australia claims copyright on the official lyrics and particular arrangements of music. Non-commercial use of the anthem is permitted without case-by-case permission, but the Commonwealth government requires permission for commercial use.

The orchestral arrangement of "Advance Australia Fair" that is now regularly played for Australian victories at international sporting medal ceremonies, and at the openings of major domestic sporting, cultural and community events, is by Tommy Tycho, an immigrant from Hungary. It was commissioned by ABC Music in 1984 and then televised by Channel 10 in 1986 in their Australia Day broadcast, featuring Julie Anthony as the soloist.

The national anthem was changed on 1 January 2021 by proclamation of the Governor-General on the advice of the Federal Executive Council. The change prior to that was on 19 April 1984.

LYRICS OF NATIONAL ANTHEMS OF AUSTRALIA:

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are one and free;

We've golden soil and wealth for toil;

Our home is girt by sea;

Our land abounds in nature's gifts

Of beauty rich and rare;

In history's page, let every stage

Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

LYRICS OF NATIONAL ANTHEMS OF AUSTRALIA:

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hinos nacionais, hymnes nationaux, himnos nacionales, национальные гимны, Nationalhymnen, 国歌, ეროვნული ჰიმნები, inni nazionali, राष्ट्रगान, volksliederen, nationalsange, နိုင်ငံတော်သီချင်း, เพลงชาติ, النشيد الوطني, εθνικούς ύμνους, quốc ca, national anthems, המנונים לאומיים, lagu kebangsaan, 애국가, ብሔራዊ መዝሙሮች, 國歌, vii o le atunuu, nacionalne himne, राष्ट्रगान के बा, জাতীয় সঙ্গীত, дзяржаўныя гімны, ereserki nazionalak, markan himnonakapa, faso ka dɔnkiliw, dövlət himnləri, himnet, kombëtare, জাতীয় সংগীত, ազգային օրհներգեր, રાષ્ટ્રગીત, tetã purahéi, laoidhean nàiseanta, amhrán náisiúnta, folkslieten, kansallislauluja, سرودهای ملی, dukɔa ƒe hadzidziwo, riigihümnid, naciaj himnoj, ގައުމީ ލަވަތަކެވެ, nyimbo za fuko, státní hymny, nasudnong mga awit, национални химни, राश्ट्रगीत, улуттук гимндер, indirimbo yubahiriza igihugu, ភ្លេងជាតិ, ұлттық әнұрандар, himnes nacionals, ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರಗೀತೆಗಳು, þjóðsöngvar, dagiti nailian a kanta, ukwe mba, nkauj qhuas vajtswv, waƙoƙin ƙasa, nā mele aupuni, national Hymnen, ennyimba z’eggwanga, tautinius himnus, banzembo ya ekólo, valsts himnas, nationalibus antiphonae, ເພງຊາດ, سروودی نەتەوەیی, sirûdên netewî, nacionalne himne, nashɔnal antɛm dɛn, im nasyonal, inni naziunali, ꯖꯥꯇꯤꯒꯤ ꯏꯁꯩꯁꯤꯡ ꯌꯥꯑꯣꯔꯤ꯫, nga waiata o te motu, hiram-pirenena, innijiet nazzjonali, ദേശീയഗാനങ്ങൾ, nemzeti himnuszokat, imnuri naționale, suyu takikuna, ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਗੀਤ, hinos nacionais, hymny narodowe, ملي سرودونه, faaruu biyyaalessaa, ଜାତୀୟ ସଂଗୀତ, nasjonalsanger, राष्ट्रिय गान, nationalsånger, nyimbo za taifa, heeso wadani ah, državne himne, štátne hymny, ජාතික ගී, قومي ترانو, nziyo dzenyika, lipina tsa sechaba, dikoša tša setšhaba, националне химне, राष्ट्रगीताः, milliy madhiyalar, دۆلەت شېئىرى, قومی ترانے, національні гімни, ɔman nnwom ahorow, Döwlet gimnleri, ሃገራዊ መዝሙራት, Milli marşlar, tinsimu ta rixaka, தேசிய கீதங்கள், జాతీయ గీతాలు, гимннар, гимнхои миллй, pambansang awit, amaculo esizwe, oriki orile, נאַציאָנאַלע הימען, imihobe yesizwe, anthemau cenedlaethol.