Australia Anthem

Friday 18th May 2001

This replaced God Save the Queen as Australia's anthem in 1984 but has not proved universally popular. Since 1999, another song, Waltzing Matilda, first written by Banjo Patterson in 1895, has been adopted by the Australian Rugby Union as an unofficial crowd anthem. Lyrics are below.

Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free; 
Weve golden soil and wealth for toil;
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in natures gifts
Of beauty rich and rare; 
In historys page, let every stage
Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross
Well toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those whove come across the seas
Weve boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To Advance Australia Fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing,
Advance Australia Fair.

Waltzing Matilda

Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a Coolibah tree
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled
You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Down came a jumbuck to drink at that billabong
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee
And he sang as he shoved that jumbuck in his tuckerbag
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up rode the squatter mounted on his thoroughbred
Down came troopers one two three
Whose that jumbuck you've got in the tuckerbag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me
And he sang as he watched and waited til his billy boiled
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me

Up jumped the swagman and sprang into the billabong
You'll never catch me alive said he
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me.

Orig. Banjo Patterson 1895 (amended 1903)