Advance Australia Fair

Advance Australia Fair is a tune that has become synonymous with Australia, often belted out with great pride and gusto at large public events like sporting fixtures and political rallies. It is the Australian national anthem, replacing ‘God save the Queen’ in 1984.

First written in the late 19th century and officially adopted in the 1980s, ‘Advance Australia Fair’ is known for its upbeat melody and its catchy lyrics, which have been memorized by countless Aussies over the years, despite most people not really knowing what they mean.

Like many national anthems, ‘Advance Australia Fair’ is a hymn to the glory of the nation it represents. However, it does so with a certain Australian…flair. How else to explain the fact that it contains a line about “garlands of wattle”? (Wattle being a type of tree native to Australia, in case you were wondering).

Of course, the most famous verse of the national anthem is the one that goes:

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!

Who wouldn’t feel stirred by such stirring lyrics? Sure, it could use a few more mentions of kangaroos or Vegemite, but I digress.

What’s interesting about ‘Advance Australia Fair’ is that it’s not the only contender for the title of Australia’s national anthem. There are plenty of vocal supporters for songs like ‘Waltzing Matilda’ and ‘I Am Australian’, both of which are arguably catchier and more memorable than ‘Advance Australia Fair’.

But love it or hate it, ‘Advance Australia Fair’ is here to stay. It’s a song that represents the very best of Australia, with its beautiful landscapes, its unique flora and fauna, and its rugged, proud spirit. And hey, at least it’s not ‘God save the Queen’, am I right?