Advance Australia Fair

“Advance Australia Fair” is the national anthem of Australia. It was written in the 1870s and became the country’s official anthem more than a century later in the 1980s. However, the song has been a subject of controversy throughout much of its existence.

Both the tune and the lyrics have been criticized. Some say the tune is boring and uninspiring, and the lyrics are racist. Some Australians have expressed concern that the song does not fully represent the country’s diversity, which blends a strong indigenous culture with the cultures of immigrants from many countries. As a result, “Advance Australia Fair” is the anthem used for official purposes, and at less formal occasions, the country’s unofficial anthem, “Waltzing Matilda,” is used. In addition, since Australia is a constitutional monarchy associated with Great Britain, when British royalty is present, “God Save the Queen” is often played as the anthem.

Background

“Advance Australia Fair” was written in 1878 by Peter Dodds McCormick (1834–1916). McCormick was a Scottish-born schoolteacher and musician who immigrated to Australia in 1855. In 1878, he attended a concert that featured the national anthems of a number of different countries. McCormick was upset when he realized that Australia was not included because it did not have an anthem. On the way home from the concert, he thought up the first verse for the song that became “Advance Australia Fair.” He put it to music and spent some time revising the tune and adding additional verses. The song was performed for the first time in the Australian town of Sydney on November 30, 1878, at a Highland Society concert celebrating St. Andrew’s Day. The song was well received and newspaper accounts of the time said it would likely become popular.

“Advance Australia Fair” was published under the name “Amicus,” which was a pen-name of McCormick’s derived from the Latin word for “friend.” The song was played as an unofficial anthem at a number of functions over the years. In 1901, it was sung by a choir of ten thousand at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia and played by bands at a number of related functions. In 1907 the government of Australia paid McCormick £100 for rights to use the song. In 1916, the first known recording was made as part of a celebration of the landing of Australian troops in Egypt.

“Advance Australia Fair” was one of about thirty patriotic and Scottish ballad-type songs written by McCormick. Patriotic songs are those intended to inspire national pride among citizens of a country. McCormick also wrote a song called “Flower of Scotland” that became an official anthem of that country, putting him in the unique position of having written anthems for two countries.

Overview

It took a full century for “Advance Australia Fair” to become the country’s formal national anthem. From the time it was written, however, the song was often played in places and at times when a national anthem would be used despite its lack of formal status. During international functions and sporting events where anthems were played, “Advance Australia Fair” was often played to represent Australia.

The Australian government finally took steps to make the song an official anthem in 1973. The National Council for the Arts ran a contest to search for other songs that could become the national anthem. However, none of the songs was considered appropriate. In 1974, Australian voters were asked to choose between four songs. In addition to “Advance Australia Fair,” the options included “Waltzing Matilda,” a bush ballad about a man who stole a sheep that was written in 1894 by Andrew Barton “Banjo” Paterson (1864–1941); “Song of Australia,” a song written for a competition in 1859 by Caroline Carleton (1820–1874); and “God Save the Queen/King.” “Advance Australia Fair” earned 51.4 percent of the votes and was named the national anthem.

Just two years later, with a new administration headed by Malcolm Fraser (1930–2015) running the country, “God Save the Queen” replaced “Advance Australia Fair.” This sudden change and a dispute over which song should formally represent the country in the 1976 Olympic games triggered a 1977 request from the Fraser administration to hold a plebiscite, or poll of the electorate on a specific issue, to choose a national anthem. Of the 8.4 million eligible voters in Australia at the time, more than 7 million voted between the same choices as those offered in the 1974 election. “Advance Australia Fair” once again gained the majority of the votes. In 1984, it was finally and officially made the country’s national anthem.

Despite repeatedly coming out on top in popular elections, the song is not universally popular. For some, the issue is a matter of the tune being boring. Others feel the uniquely Australian “Waltzing Matilda,” with Australian slang-riddled lyrics about a strike in the key Australian sheep industry, better represents what the country stands for. Some prefer the formality of “God Save the Queen.”

However, the most significant objection to the song is its lyrics. In addition to using antiquated words such as “girt,” many find the song’s words to be overtly racist. The word “fair” in the title can be read to refer to the country as being fair as in “beautiful,” but many see it as referring to fair skin, or white people. They find this usage in conjunction with “advancing” to be offensive, especially to the indigenous Australians. Other lines in the song refer British imperialistic actions, though many of these lines are in verses that are not usually part of official performances of the anthem.

To appease those who criticize the song, some changes have been made. A line that originally referred to “Australia’s sons” has been rewritten to reference “Australians all,” and the most offensive verses are rarely sung. Efforts have also been made to rewrite the lyrics completely while retaining the tune.

Bibliography

“Advance Australia Fair.” National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/advance-australia-fair. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.

“Australia’s National Anthem—Fact Sheet 251.” National Archives of Australia, www.naa.gov.au/collection/fact-sheets/fs251.aspx. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.

Fletcher, Jim. “McCormick, Peter Dodds (1834–1916).” Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1986, adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mccormick-peter-dodds-7323. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.

Griffiths, Ellie. “History of Waltzing Mathilda.” Culture Trip, 12 Aug. 2016, theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/the-history-of-waltzing-matilda/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.

Hildebrand, Joe. “Anthony Mundine Is Right. The National Anthem Is Racist.” News.com, 31 Jan. 2017, www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/anthony-mundine-is-right-the-national-anthem-is-racist/news-story/935d2664ea01bbe3a08c0adb5bb1f616. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.

La Terra, Monique. “The Story Behind Advance Australia Fair.” Culture Trip, 29 Nov. 2016, theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/the-story-behind-advance-australia-fair/. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.

McFadyen, Warwick. “Advance Australia Fair Is an Anthem that Is Racist at so Many Levels.” Sydney Morning Herald, 16 Sept. 2018, www.smh.com.au/national/advance-australia-fair-is-an-anthem-that-is-racist-at-so-many-levels-20180916-p5043s.html. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.

Pearson, Luke. “10 Things You Should Know about Advance Australia Fair.” National Indigenous Television, 8 Jan. 2018, www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2017/01/31/10-things-you-should-know-about-advance-australia-fair1. Accessed 11 Mar. 2019.