Patriotic Song, “Advance Australia Fair.” [turn of the century version, 26 September 1906]

[Editor: This text of “Advance Australia Fair” differs from the 1878 version; in the third verse the fifth and sixth lines have been changed to “From England, Scotia, Erin’s isle” and “Who come our lot to share”; whilst in the fourth verse, the sixth and eighth lines were changed to “Beyond wide oceans roll” and “Still keep a British soul”.]

Patriotic Song, “Advance Australia Fair.”

Sung by the great choir of 10,000 voices at the Commonwealth celebrations, played by the massed bands at all reviews, tattoos, etc., and sung at the public schools’ sports on September 19.

Written and composed by “Amicus.”

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 sail’d,
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.

While other nations of the globe
Behold us from afar,
We’ll rise to high renown and shine
Like our glorious southern star;
From England, Scotia, Erin’s isle,
Who come our lot to share,
Let all combine with heart and hand
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains, etc.

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, etc.

The words of this patriotic song have been revised. The author, Mr. P. D. McCormick (“Amicus”) is indebted to the late Professor Stuart Blackie, of Edinburgh, for improvement in the last verse

Source:
Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW), Wednesday 26 September 1906, page 17