Peter Dodds McCormick

Peter Dodds McCormick (1834? - 30 October 1916), a Scottish-born schoolteacher, was the composer of the Australian national anthem "Advance Australia Fair".

Born in the son of a seaman at Port Glasgow, Scotland, he arrived in Sydney (at that time the principal city of the British colony of New South Wales) in 1855. Details of his earlier years, prior to his arrival in Australia, are shadowy. He spent most of his life employed by the NSW Education Department. In 1863 he was appointed teacher-in charge of at St Mary's National School and went on to teach at the Presbyterian denominational school in the Sydney suburb of Woolloomooloo in 1867. He then moved to Dowling Plunkett Street Public School in 1878 where he remained until 1885. Australian Dictionary of Biography
last= Fletcher
first= Jim
authorlink=
year=1983
id=A100227b
title= McCormick, Peter Dodds (1834? - 1916)
accessdate=2008-03-22 ]

McCormick was heavily involved in the Scottish Presbyterian Church and was active in a number of community and benevolent organisations. He began his involvement with Sydney's St Stephen's Church as a stonemason, working on the now demolished Phillip Street Church (where Martin Place now stands). The Rev Hugh Darling was so impressed with his singing on the job he asked him to join the choir. McCormick's musical ability led him to becoming the precentor of the Presbyterian Church of NSW, which gave him the opportunity to conduct very large massed choirs. He was also convenor of the Presbyterian Church Assembly's Committee on Psalmody. Also a talented composer, he published around 30 patriotic and Scottish songs, some of which became very popular. Included in his collected works was "Advance Australia Fair", which was first performed in public by Andrew Fairfax at the St Andrew's Day concert of the Highland Society on November 30 1878.

"Advance Australia Fair" became quite a popular patriotic song. The "Sydney Morning Herald" described the music as bold and stirring, and the words "decidedly patriotic" - it was "likely to become a popular favourite". Later under the pseudonym "Amicus" he had the music and four verses published by W. H. Paling & Co. Ltd.

The song quickly gained popularity and an amended version was sung by a choir of 10,000 at the inauguration of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. In 1907, the New South Wales Government awarded McCormick £100 for his patriotic composition which he registered for copyright in 1915.

In a letter to R. B. Fuller Esq., dated 1 August 1913, McCormick described the circumstances that inspired him to pen the lyrics of his famous song:

McCormick died in 1916 at his home in the Sydney suburb of Waverley and he was buried at Rookwood Cemetery. He had no children; he was survived by his second wife Emma. His obituary in the "Sydney Morning Herald" stated: "Mr. McCormick established a reputation with the patriotic song, "Advance Australia Fair", which ... has come to be recognised as something in the nature of an Australian National Anthem". [cite web|url=http://www.hamilton.net.au/advance/author.html|title=Peter Dodds McCormick|accessdate=2007-10-30]

The song was performed by massed bands at the Federal capital celebrations in Canberra in 1927. In 1984 it was formally declared the Australian national anthem.

References

External links

* [http://lachlan.bluehaze.com.au/aaf/ This website] has an image of Peter Dodds McCormick and a variety of versions of "Advance Australia Fair".

Persondata
NAME = McCormick, Peter Dodds
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Australian schoolteacher and songwriter
DATE OF BIRTH = 1834?
PLACE OF BIRTH = Port Glasgow, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH = 30 October 1916
PLACE OF DEATH = Waverley, New South Wales