Australia adopted “Advance Australia Fair” as its national anthem in 1984.
Peter Dodds McCormick wrote both the words and music in 1878. The song was first performed in Sydney that year and gradually became a major Australian patriotic song. For much of the twentieth century, Australia used “God Save the King” or “God Save the Queen” as its royal anthem while “Advance Australia Fair” served as a popular alternative.
A 1977 national referendum asked Australians to choose a new national anthem. “Advance Australia Fair” received the largest share of votes among the options, but the change was not made immediately. The government officially adopted it on 19 April 1984.
The anthem’s wording has been revised over time. In 2021, “for we are young and free” was changed to “for we are one and free” in the official version.