Advance Australia Fair - Australian National Anthem

Peter Dodds McCormick, a Scottish-born Sydney schoolteacher and band man, wrote and composed Advance Australia Fair in the late 1870s — first performed under that title in Sydney on St Andrew’s Day, 30 November 1878. For a century it jostled with God Save the Queen, Waltzing Matilda and Song of Australia as the tune people wanted at the end of a show.

Whitlam’s government adopted it in April 1974; Fraser put the royal anthem back in 1976 while keeping Fair in the mix; a May 1977 plebiscite preferred Fair. The lasting legal moment is 19 April 1984, when Governor-General Sir Ninian Stephen proclaimed the tune and the two modern verses as the Australian National Anthem, with God Save the Queen reserved as the royal anthem. The same proclamation locked in green and gold as the national colours. Older lyric sheets on this post may still mention Britannia — the official text does not.

Advance Australia Fair - The Australian National Anthem

Australians All Let Us Rejoice, 
For We Are Young & Free
We've Golden Soil & Wealth For Toil
Our Home Is Girt By Sea
Our Land Abounds In Nature's Gifts
Of Beauty Rich & 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 & Hands;
To Make This Commonwealth Of Ours 
Renowned Of All The Lands;
For Those Who've Come Across The Sea
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...
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The Original 1879 Advance Australia Fair
 

Verse 1
Australia's Sons Let Us Rejoice, 
For We Are Young & Free;
We've Golden Soil & Wealth For Toil, 
Our Home Is Girt By Sea;
Our Land Abounds In Nature's Gifts Of Beauty Rich & Rare;
In History's Page, Let Every Stage, Advance Australia Fair.....
In Joyful Strains Then Let Us Sing.......... Advance Australia Fair
 

Verse 2
When Gallant Cook From Albion Sailed,
To Trace Wide Ocean's 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 

Verse 3 
While Other Nations Of The Globe Behold Us From Afar, 
We'll Rise To High Renown & Shine Like Our Glorious Southern Star;
From England Soil & Fatherland, Scotia & Erin Fair
Let All Combine With Heart & Hand To Advance Australia Fair
In Joyful Strains Then Let Us Sing...... Advance Australia Fair 
Verse 4 
Should 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, Though Ocean's Roll Between, 
Her Son's In Fair Australia's Land Still Keep Their Courage Green
In Joyful Strains Then Let us Sing...... 
Advance Australia Fair.........