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Advance Australia Fair is the official national anthem of Australia, and it was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick in the late 19th century. It was first performed by Andrew Fairfax at a Highland Society function in Sydney on St Andrew's Day, (30 November, 1878). The song quickly gained popularity and an amended version was sung by a choir of 10,000 at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. In 1907, the Australian Government awarded McCormick £100 for its composition. It emerged as the most popular choice for the national anthem after an opinion poll in 1974 (the Australian Bureau of Statistics polled 60,000 nationally). It was also the subject of a National Song Poll in 1977, where it garnered 43.6% of the vote, as against Waltzing Matilda (28.5%), the Song Of Australia (9.7%), and the then-current national anthem God Save the Queen (18.7%). On most occasions, only the first verse of the anthem is sung. This has led to the belief that most Australians do not know the second verse, and the anthem is sometimes comically recited with the first verse sung clearly, and the second verse mumbled. The anthem, though sung with enthusiasm at national celebrations, is still regarded by many with mixed feelings and many older people still struggle with the words. Some of the lyrics are odd by modern standards, particularly the word "girt" (the past tense of the verb "to gird") meaning 'encircled' or 'surrounded'; however, these longer words do not fit the music.
Historical notesBefore its adoption as Australia's national anthem, it saw considerable use elsewhere. For instance, during World War II, Australia's national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Commission used it to announce its news bulletins. It was also frequently played at the start or end of official functions. It was adopted as the national anthem by a 1984 decision of the Labor government of Bob Hawke, although it required a proclamation by the Governor-General for the decision to become official. AlternativesOther tunes that have gained recognition in the popular mind as patriotic songs include the pop ballad I Still Call Australia Home, by Peter Allen and the reggae-influenced rock song Down Under by band Men At Work. Also gaining popularity is I Am Australian by The Seekers. As part of New Years Eve 2004 celebrations, Clover Moore, Mayor of the City of Sydney, made a dance remix of it with a verse of Waltzing Matilda in it. LyricsThe lyrics of Advance Australia Fair express relatively 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 non-sexist language and to reflect the fact that Australia is no longer a 'youthful Commonwealth'. For example:
There lies some ambiguity in the enduring popularity of Waltzing Matilda, which is generally regarded as a much finer tune and has been part of the Australian imagination almost since its composition 120 years ago. Many non-Australians simply assume the tune is Australia's anthem. However, Matilda's lyrics, detailing the exploits of an itinerant who steals a sheep and then drowns himself in an effort to avoid capture by the police and the local squatter (land-owner), are regarded by some Australians as unsuitable as an expression of Australian values, and, indeed, as unsuitable topics for discussion in a national anthem. Advance Australia Fair - The official version
Dodds' original lyrics
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