[et_pb_row admin_label="row"][et_pb_column type="1_3"][et_pb_image admin_label="Image" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/slnsw.dxd.dc.prod.dos.prod.assets/home-dos-files/2014/07/HighlandSociety1901.jpg" show_in_lightbox="off" url_new_window="off" animation="fade_in" sticky="off" align="left" force_fullwidth="on" always_center_on_mobile="on" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] [/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Invitation to Washington H Soul from The Highland Society of NSW to their Annual Highland Gathering on 2 January 1901. From the collection of the State Library of New South Wales, a920004/MLMSS 6197, Mitchell Library [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type="2_3"][et_pb_text admin_label="Text" background_layout="light" text_orientation="left" use_border_color="off" border_color="#ffffff" border_style="solid"] Peter McCormick is little known in Sydney, although every Sydneysider knows his work. McCormick's principal claim to fame is as author-composer of the national song 'Advance Australia Fair'. The Dictionary has an article by Graeme Skinner on McCormick, who was a Scottish immigrant who arrived in Sydney in February 1855, aged about 20. McCormick briefly trained as a teacher at Fort Street Model School in 1863 and was then appointed to a school in suburban St Marys. From 1867 he taught for ten years at the Presbyterian school, Woolloomooloo, and then followed that with a stint at the local public school, Dowling (Plunkett) Street Public School from 1878 until 1885. McCormick's real love was music. He became involved in amateur musical societies and served as precentor (music director) of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales. He wrote a couple of patriotic songs: 'Awake! Awake! Australia' and 'Advance Australia Fair'. 'Advance Australia Fair' was first sung at the St Andrew's Day concert of the Sydney Highland Society on 30 November 1878. The Sydney Morning Herald described the music as 'bold and stirring' and the words as 'decidedly patriotic' – it was 'likely to become a popular favourite'. The first clear recognition of the song's future place in Australia's national consciousness came in Sydney on 1 January 1901, when it was sung (with a slightly modified text) by a choir of 10,000 voices at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia in Centennial Park. By 1907 the New South Wales Premier was already describing the song, according to its publisher, as 'our national anthem'. Three years before he died in 1916, McCormick described the inspiration of the song. He had attended a concert where several national anthems were sung. He wrote that he:

"... felt very aggravated that there was not one note for Australia. On the way home in a bus, I concocted the first verse of my song, & when I got home I set it to music. I first wrote it in the Tonic Sol-fa Notation, then transcribed it into the Old Notation, & tried it over on an instrument next morning, & found it correct … It seemed to me to be like an inspiration, & I wrote the words & music with the greatest ease."

McCormick was very proud of his song. WH Paling & Co Ltd published the music and four verses of text under McCormick's pen-name 'Amicus' in 1879.  The National Library of Australia has an extraordinary sheet music collection and they have a great free app called Forte. You can download the app and see the original sheet music which has four verses with single voice and four part voice arrangements. When McCormick died in 1916, his obituary observed that 'Advance Australia Fair' was 'recognised as something in the nature of an Australian National Anthem'. A famous recording of the song was made in 1935 by Tenor Peter Dawson did much to enhance the song's popularity. Until 1952, a shortened version was used as the news theme on ABC radio. The federal Whitlam Labor government first proclaimed it the national anthem, replacing 'God Save the Queen', in 1974, and its status was finally confirmed by the Governor-General in 1984. --- You can listen to the podcast of this morning's segment with Lisa and Mitch on 2SER Breakfast here.   [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row]