'Advance Australia Fair' first performed
On 30 November 1878 Advance Australia Fair was performed for the first time.
The song was written by Peter Dodds McCormick, a Sydney school teacher, who was interested in choral music and all things Scottish. Earlier in the year he had attended a concert of national anthems and, dismayed by the lack of an Australian song, he began composing one on the bus on the way home. Advance Australia Fair was performed at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia on January 1 1901 but did not become the official national anthem until 1984.
Further compositions
The attached documents were found by staff researching WWI records in our collection.
Images 1 & 2: In the Premier's Department Letters Received Received McCormick sent this song An Australian Hymn to Premier Holman for his use. Whether it was used is unknown.
Image 3: This composition Are We Fainthearted? No! is also possibly by McCormick; it is written and composed by "Amicus" which is also part of the calling card in Image 1.
Published on
Music
Browse all
Fatshaudi commissioned works
We commissioned a range of musicians to create new compositions for Dream Feast in response to sheet music held in the Caroline Simpson Library Collection. One of the musicians, Fatshaudi (Brisbane-based producer Rachael Ryan), shares her experience
Performance
House/Music
From June to August, we’re transforming our historic houses and museum spaces through a series of intimate and diverse live music experiences
Friday 19 June 6pm–7pm
![[Sydney from the north shore], Joseph Lycett, 1827.](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/zl9du87e/production/efb0ca986f6e159dd142f8014c35c3b1010cbc06-1346x908.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&q=90&w=593)
Hearing the music of early New South Wales
A new website documents an exciting partnership between Museums of History NSW and the University of Sydney in an exploration of Indigenous song and European settler vocal and instrumental music in early colonial NSW
Latest News
The Syrens of Sydney: a bespoke donor experience
On a perfect autumn afternoon in late May, donors were immersed in the musical world of the Wentworths and their contemporaries at the 'Syrens of Sydney' concert held at Vaucluse House