When did they change the Australian National Anthem?

The 1984 amendments were the most substantial changes made to the words of Advance Australia Fair since it was first written in 1878.

The first change was to reduce the original four verses written in 1878 and revised in 1901 by Dodds McCormick to two verses. In this way, the 'Rule Britannia' references were removed. For example, Verse 2, which included the line Britannia rules the wave and Verse 4, which included the lines Britannia then shall surely know, Though oceans roll between, Her sons in fair Australia's land, Still keep their courage green, were removed.  

The result is that, following the 1901 Federation version which replaced the third verse, the only surviving verses of the original compositions are remnants of the first and third verses. 

The National Australia Day Committee made further changes to the lyrics to make them gender neutral. The Committee also attempted to make them more inclusive.

The Verse 1 of the original version was changed by deleting the words Australia's sons let us rejoice and replacing them with Australians all let us rejoice.

Next, Verse 3 of the 1901 version was adopted as the second verse.

Changes were also made to Verse 3 (the new Verse 2). The word youthful in the words To make our youthful Commonwealth, was deleted and replaced with the line To make this Commonwealth of ours. Further, the new Verse 2 was made gender neutral by deleting the words For loyal sons beyond the seas and replacing them with For those who’ve come across the seas. This phrase was intended to reference and include immigrants to Australia.

However, even in 1984, the Anthem was not made inclusive by continuing to make no reference to our First Peoples, in spite of specific reference being made to immigrants who’ve come across the seas. Further, Australian values which evolved and became entrenched in the 20th century were not referenced. 

The 1984 changes were introduced in the context of a process to replace God save the Queen as the Australian National Anthem. This was the principal focus at the time. We now have a very different social context with a more sharply defined set of values.

With these changes, the Australian National Anthem was officially adopted by Proclamation on 19 April 1984 and remained in this form until 1 January 2021 to be sung as follows:

The 1984 Proclaimed Australian National Anthem

Verse 1

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.

Verse 2

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.

30 December 2020 Australian National Anthem Verse 1 Proclaimed - "For we are one and free"

On 30 December 2020, on the advice of the Government, the Governor-General, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), proclaimed amended words for the Australian National Anthem.

The Proclamation, which took effect on 1 January 2021, changed the words of the second line of the Australian National Anthem from ‘For we are young and free’ to ‘For we are one and free’.

The Proclamation is reproduced below:

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

Australian National Anthem
Proclamation of Amended Words

I, General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby:

(a)        revoke paragraph (b) of the proclamation of the National Anthem made by the Governor‑General in Council on 19 April 1984; and

(b)       declare that the National Anthem shall henceforth consist of the tune known as "Advance Australia Fair" with the following words:

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are one 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.

This Proclamation will take effect on 1 January 2021.

Signed and Sealed with the

Great Seal of Australia on

30 December 2020

David Hurley

Governor-General

By His Excellency’s Command

Scott Morrison

Prime Minister

Score of Advance Australia Fair by Peter Dodds McCormick (with revised Federation Verse 3, C 1901)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a change in the wording to the country's national anthem. It's in an attempt to recognize its indigenous history.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

It's a new year, and Australia has a new national anthem - well, a slightly newer one. Here's the original.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR")

NATIONAL ANTHEM BAND: (Singing) Australians, oh, let us rejoice, for we are young and free.

NOEL KING, HOST:

So as you heard, the song starts - Australians let us rejoice, for we are young and free. In the new version, they'll sing - we are one and free. It's a small but significant change, says Australia's prime minister Scott Morrison. He announced it on New Year's Eve.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRIME MINISTER SCOTT MORRISON: Our anthem is about us - who we are and who we hope to be as well.

KING: Morrison says by changing that one word, Australia is paying tribute to its long and rich Indigenous history.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MORRISON: We live in a timeless land of ancient First Nations peoples. And we draw together the stories of more than 300 national ancestries and language groups.

KING: He hopes the change will create a spirit of unity.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MORRISON: It's a change for all Australians.

INSKEEP: Now, this move has been popular, but there is some debate about how it was made. Megan Davis says Indigenous people should have been consulted. She's a professor of law at the University of New South Wales and identifies as Aboriginal. She says the process was disappointing and added, everything about us without us. Australian Indigenous leader and rights advocate Warren Mundine supports this change. He spoke with 7NEWS Australia.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

WARREN MUNDINE: I like the idea of one, like we are one nation. We are one people. Australia is such a great, incredible place, and it's about unifying us. So the premise is right in regard to that. It's about unifying us.

KING: The anthem is called "Advance Australia Fair." It was composed almost 150 years ago, and it became Australia's national anthem in 1984.

INSKEEP: Criticism of that anthem intensified in recent years. Some Indigenous athletes refused to sing or stand while it was being played. And last month, before a rugby match between Australia and Argentina, this happened.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

OLIVIA FOX: (Singing in non-English language).

INSKEEP: That's musician Olivia Fox singing the Australian national anthem in an Indigenous language for the first time at an international sporting event. Behind her, rugby players linked arms and sang along.

KING: Indigenous leader Warren Mundine said that performance really moved him.

MUNDINE: It really got me proud and passionate about being Australian.

KING: Now, the first public performance of Australia's new anthem is expected to happen at a different sporting event. Morrison said it could come at a cricket test match that's scheduled for this Thursday, as long as a COVID surge in greater Sydney doesn't get in the way.

MUNDINE: This is a simple change, I think. It's a change that I think is very much in accord with where Australians feel about these things. It's not pretending to be anything more than it is.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR")

NATIONAL ANTHEM BAND: (Singing) We'll toil with hearts and hands to make this commonwealth of ours...

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