Created by the Scottish-born composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878 and sung in Australia as a patriotic song.
It replaced "God Save the Queen" as the official national anthem in 1984, following a plebiscite to choose the national song in 1977. ==History== ===Origin=== "Advance Australia Fair" was published in early December 1878 by Peter Dodds McCormick under the pen-name "Amicus" (which means "friend" in Latin).
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 first verse was kept largely as the 1878 original, except for the change in the first line from " let us rejoice" to " let us rejoice".
The song gained 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": 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.
Fuller dated 1 August 1913, McCormick described the circumstances that inspired him to write "Advance Australia Fair": 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.
At the same time, "God Save the 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 Queen or members of the Royal Family. Even though any 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.
For example, Australia's national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, used it to announce its news bulletins until 1952.
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 then performed a nationwide opinion survey to determine the song to be sung on occasions of national significance.
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.
It replaced "God Save the Queen" as the official national anthem in 1984, following a plebiscite to choose the national song in 1977. ==History== ===Origin=== "Advance Australia Fair" was published in early December 1878 by Peter Dodds McCormick under the pen-name "Amicus" (which means "friend" in Latin).
This was conducted as a plebiscite to choose the National Song, held as an optional additional question in the 1977 referendum on various issues.
It replaced "God Save the Queen" as the official national anthem in 1984, following a plebiscite to choose the national song in 1977. ==History== ===Origin=== "Advance Australia Fair" was published in early December 1878 by Peter Dodds McCormick under the pen-name "Amicus" (which means "friend" in Latin).
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.
It was commissioned by ABC Records in 1984 and then televised by Channel 10 in 1986 in their Australia Day broadcast, featuring Julie Anthony as the soloist. === Legislative basis === 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== The lyrics of "Advance Australia Fair", as modified by the National Australia Day Council, were officially adopted in April 1984.
It was commissioned by ABC Records in 1984 and then televised by Channel 10 in 1986 in their Australia Day broadcast, featuring Julie Anthony as the soloist. === Legislative basis === The national anthem was changed on 1 January 2021 by proclamation of the Governor-General on the advice of the Federal Executive Council.
National Party senator Sandy Macdonald said in 2001 that "Advance Australia Fair" is so boring that the nation risks singing itself to sleep, with boring music and words impossible to understand. Political sentiment is divided.
Judith Durham of The Seekers and Mutti Mutti musician Kutcha Edwards released their alternative lyrics in 2009, replacing "for we are young and free" with the opening lines "Australians let us stand as one, upon this sacred land".
Craig Emerson of the Australian Labor Party has critiqued the anthem, former MP Peter Slipper has said that Australia should consider another anthem, in 2011 former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett suggested "I Am Australian", while former Australian Labor Party leader Kim Beazley defended it. ===Recognition of indigenous Australians=== The song has been criticised for failing to represent or acknowledge Australia's Indigenous peoples and the country's colonial history.
Boxer Anthony Mundine stated in 2013, 2017 and 2018 that he would not stand for the anthem, prompting organisers not to play it before his fights.
It has also been suggested that the word "fair" celebrates the "civilising" mission of British colonists. Since about 2015, public debate about the anthem has increased.
In 2015, Aboriginal Australian soprano Deborah Cheetham declined an invitation to sing the anthem at the 2015 AFL grand final after the AFL turned down her request to replace the words "for we are young and free" with "in peace and harmony".
Boxer Anthony Mundine stated in 2013, 2017 and 2018 that he would not stand for the anthem, prompting organisers not to play it before his fights.
She has advocated for the lyrics be rewritten and endorsed Durham and Edwards' alternative version. In 2017 the Recognition in Anthem Project was established and began work on a new version, with lyrics written by poet and former Victorian Supreme Court judge Peter Vickery following consultation with Indigenous communities and others.
Boxer Anthony Mundine stated in 2013, 2017 and 2018 that he would not stand for the anthem, prompting organisers not to play it before his fights.
In September 2018 a 9-year-old Brisbane girl was disciplined by her school after refusing to stand for the national anthem; her actions were applauded by some public commentators, and criticised by others.
Former prime minister Bob Hawke endorsed Vickery's alternative lyrics in 2018.
In 2019, several National Rugby League football players decided not to sing the anthem before the first match of the State of Origin series and before the Indigenous All-Stars series with New Zealand; NRL coach and celebrated former player Mal Meninga supported the protesting players and called for a referendum on the subject. Several alternative versions of "Advance Australia Fair" have been proposed to address the alleged exclusion of Indigenous Australians.
It was commissioned by ABC Records in 1984 and then televised by Channel 10 in 1986 in their Australia Day broadcast, featuring Julie Anthony as the soloist. === Legislative basis === The national anthem was changed on 1 January 2021 by proclamation of the Governor-General on the advice of the Federal Executive Council.
The lyrics were updated as of 1 January 2021 in an attempt to recognise Indigenous Australians, with the word "one" in the second line replacing the previous "young".
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