Advance Australia Fair

One of the worst aspects of Australia Day on Friday will be the endless playing of the only national anthem more dreary than God Save the Queen. Why oh why did Aussies vote for this dirge to be their anthem when they could have plumped for this gem.

Advance Australia Fair was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick in 1878.

In 1973 the Whitlam government decided that the country needed an anthem that could represent Australia with "distinction", and started a competition to find one. Advance Australia Fair emerged as the most popular choice for the national anthem after an opinion poll in 1974 saw it gain 43.6% of the vote, defeating the three alternatives: Waltzing Matilda (28.5%), Song of Australia (9.7%), and the then-current national anthem God Save the Queen (18.7%).

Advance Australia Fair was adopted as the national anthem in 1984 by a decision of the Labour government of Bob Hawke.

The lyrics of Advance Australia Fair express reasonably uncontroversial Australian self-beliefs and aspirations. For its adoption as the national anthem, 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, in order to promote less male oriented language and to reflect the fact that Australia is no longer a 'youthful Commonwealth'.

For example:
"Australia's sons let us rejoice" became "Australians all let us rejoice".
"To make this youthful Commonwealth" became "To make this Commonwealth of ours".
"For loyal sons beyond the seas" became "For those who've come across the seas".

Advance Australia Fair - The official version

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young 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!"

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"

McCormick's original lyrics

Australia's sons let us rejoice,
For we are young 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!"

When gallant Cook from Albion sail'd,
To trace wide oceans o'er,
True British courage bore him on,
Till he landed on our shore.
Then here he raised Old England's flag,
The standard of the brave;
With all her faults we love her still,
"Britannia rules the wave!"
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"

Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make our youthful Commonwealth
Renowned of all the lands;
For loyal sons beyond the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"

While other nations of the globe
Behold us from afar,
We'll rise to high renown and shine
Like our glorious southern star;
From England, Scotia, Erin's Isle,
Who come our lot to share,
Let all combine with heart and hand
To advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"

Shou'd foreign foe e'er sight our coast,
Or dare a foot to land,
We'll rouse to arms like sires of yore
To guard our native strand;
Britannia then shall surely know,
Beyond wide ocean's roll,
Her sons in fair Australia's land
Still keep a English soul.
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"