Happy Australia Day!

[cajunscot]

As mentioned in another thread, January 26th is Australia Day. So, here's to Australia, a noble friend and ally! Good on ya, mates!

On the e-newsletter this week from rampantscotland.com, there was an article about the Scottish connection of Australia's national anthem:

You may be wondering why the Australian national anthem is being included in a collection of Scottish songs (even though Australia Day is on Thursday, 26 January). But, of course, it was written by a Scot - Peter Dodds McCormick, who was born in Glasgow around 1835. He emigrated to Australia in 1855 and worked for most of his life with the Education Department in Sydney. McCormick produced a number of versions of the song, sometimes with only minor corrections.

"Advance Australia Fair" was written in 1878 under the pseudonym of Amicus and it was first sung on St Andrew's Day (November 30) that year at a Highland Society function. [emphasis mine] An amended version was sung by a choir of 10,000 at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. In 1907, the Australian Government awarded McCormick £100 for composing it. Verses 1 & 3 formally became the Australian National Anthem on 19th April 1984.

Advance, Australia, Fair

Australian 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 hist'ry's page, let ev'ry stage
Advance Australia Fair
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair.

When gallant Cook from Albion sailed.
To trace wide oceans o'er.
True British courage bore him on.
Til 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."
"Britannia rules the wave."
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross.
We'll toil with hearts and hands,
To make our youthful Commonwealth
Renowned of all the lands;
For loyal sons beyond 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.

Should 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.
Britannia then shall surely know,
Beyond wide oceans roll
Her sons in fair Australia's land
Still keep a British soul.
In joyful strains then let us sing
Advance Australia Fair.

[GMan]

Even though it may be a bit late, I too want to say Good on Ya'

[Sherry]

Cheers!

[Jerry]

Happy Australia day. Isn't it amazing, it falls on the same day as kilt day?

[cormacmacguardhe]

G'day Hope it is a pleasant one. Thinking back, I believe that my grandmother had some relatives down under some where. I can not at this time remember where. The name is probably well known, it is MacQuarrie.

[Graham]

Heck, I didn't know about the anthem being written by a scot!!

I come to xmarks and get an education!! thanks!

I flew the flag on Australia Day (the saltire) then in the evening went to air with my celtic music program and took the opportunity to mention the influence of the scots on Australian culture, but I WISH I had read this info first!!!! it would have been good to read out on air.