Advance Australia Fair

"Advance Australia Fair"

National anthem of Australia
LyricsPeter Dodds McCormick (as modified by the Australia Day Council), November 1878 (modified 19 April 1984)
MusicPeter Dodds McCormick, November 1878
Adopted
  • 9 April 1974 (1974-04-09) (as the national anthem)
  • 22 January 1976 (1976-01-22) (as one of three "national songs")
  • 19 April 1984 (1984-04-19) (readopted as the national anthem)
Preceded by
Audio sample
Royal Australian Navy Band instrumental version (one verse)

"Advance Australia Fair" is the national anthem of Australia. Written by Scottish-born Australian composer Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed as a patriotic song in Australia in 1878. It replaced "God Save the Queen" as the official national anthem by the Whitlam government in 1974, following an indicative opinion survey. The subsequent Fraser government reinstated "God Save the Queen" as the national anthem in January 1976 alongside three other "national songs": "Advance Australia Fair", "Waltzing Matilda" and "Song of Australia". Later in 1977 a plebiscite to choose the "national song" preferred "Advance Australia Fair". This was subsequently proclaimed the national anthem in 1984 by the Hawke government. "God Save the Queen" became the royal anthem (later "God Save the King" on the accession of King Charles III), and is used at public engagements attended by the King or members of the royal family.

The lyrics of the 1984 version of "Advance Australia Fair" were modified from McCormick's original and its verses were trimmed down from four to two. In January 2021, the official lyrics were changed once again, in recognition of the long habitation of Indigenous Australians.