Advance Australia Fair

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Advance Australia Fair by Peter Dodds McCormick in the year 1879

Advance Australia Fair is the official national anthem of Australia. It was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick in the late 19th century, and first performed by Andrew Fairfax at a Highland Society function in Sydney on St Andrew's Day, (November 30, 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. Even though any copyright of Peter Dodds McCormick' original lyrics has expired as he died in 1916, the Commonwealth of Australia does copyright the officially proclaimed lyrics and particular arrangements of music. Non-commercial use of the anthem is permitted without case-by-case permission, but commercial use does require permission. — Excerpted from Advance Australia Fair on Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.

[edit] Official lyrics

Copyright-restricted (see Wikipedia and Wikilivres articles).

[edit] Original lyrics (not sung officially)

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 this 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 British soul.

In joyful strains then let us sing

"Advance Australia fair!"

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This text was created in Australia and is now in the public domain because its term of copyright has expired. See Australian Copyright Council (ACC), (How Long Copyright Lasts) (Apr 2009).

This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1923. The author died in 1916, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 80 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.