(Jrt)
Advance Australia Fair
Advance Australia Fair (Advance beautiful and just Australia) east since 1984 the national anthem of Australia. It was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick.
Most of the time only the first stanza is entonnée. A second verse is sometimes added for special occasions. There are other verses, presented in this article.
The current version is quite different from the original version composed by Dodds; references to Britain and bellicose sentiments were withdrawn. It has changed and Australia's sons (son Australian) to all Australians (all Australian).
History of the anthem
Before being adopted as official Australian anthem, Advance Australia Fair was widely used on many occasions. For example, the Australian Broadcasting Commission (National Broadcasting Australia), has used this hymn to announce his diary until 1952. The anthem was also played at the beginning and end of some official events.
In 1973, the Whitlam government decided that the country needed an anthem representing Australia in a specific manner, ie separate from the generic anthem God Save the Queen (God preserve Queen) of Britain and the Commonwealth. It therefore launched a public competition to find such a hymn. The Australian Council for the Arts (Australian Council of the Arts) was responsible for organizing the contest which was called the Australian National Anthem Quest (Quest for the Australian national anthem). The contest took place in two stages: first to define the words and then a following for music, each rewarded with a reward of five thousand Australian dollars (AUD 5,000) for the winning proposal. On the recommendation of the Council for the Arts, none of the proposals was considered crucial as the contest ended by the mere appointment of three proposals emerging: Advance Australia Fair, Waltzing Matilda and Song of Australia.
Advance Australia Fair emerged batch at a public opinion poll conducted in 1974 by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (Australian Bureau of Statistics) with 60,000 nationals.
Finally, in 1977, at the same time that the referendum on national emancipation, a national plebiscite appointed the national anthem: Advance Australia Fair won 43.6% of votes, far ahead of other alternatives: Waltzing Matilda (28.5% ), Song of Australia (9.7%), and then in force anthem God Save the Queen (18.7%).
Advance Australia Fair was therefore adopted as the national anthem on April 19, 1984, by a decision of the Labour government of Bob Hawke and a proclamation from Governor General Sir Ninian Stephen.
Official version
Australians all 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! "
Beneath our radiant southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across 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! "
Lyrics by original Dodds
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,
"Brittannia rules the wave! "
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;
Brittannia then shall surely know,
Beyond wide ocean's roll,
Her sons in fair Australia's land
Still keep a British soul.
In joyful strains the let us sing
"Advance Australia fair! "
Read also www.hamilton.net.au/advance.html
wikipedia
