Christmas Island

"Advance Australia Fair" is the official national anthem of Australia. Created by the Scottish-born composer, Peter Dodds McCormick, the song was first performed in 1878, but did not gain its status as the official anthem until 1984. Until then, the song was sung in Australia as a patriotic song.... In order for the song to become the anthem, it had to face a vote between the Royal anthem God Save the Queen, the "unofficial anthem" Waltzing Matilda and Song of Australia. Other songs and marches have been influenced by Advance Australia Fair, such as the Australian Vice-Regal salute. The earliest known sound recording of Advance Australia Fair appears in "The Landing of the Australian Troops in Egypt", circa 1916, a short commercial recording dramatising arrival of the Australian troops in Egypt en route to Gallipoli. The original song Advance Australia Fair was composed by Peter Dodds McCormick under the pen-name 'Amicus' , in the late 19th century, and first performed by Andrew Fairfax at a Highland Society function in Sydney on 30 November 1878.
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