Advance Australia Fair - Alternative Christian Verse

Alternative Christian Verse

A Christian movement, Awakening, in the 1990s substituted an alternative second verse naming Christ and promoting Christian values An archived claim that the verse was sung in the 1930s at Smithton, Tasmania, is unsubstantiated and has been withdrawn from the original website. It was sung during the Global March for Jesus in 1998 and again at World Youth Day 2008 with the qualification 'This is not the official verse, but a Catholic adaptation of the Australian National Anthem'.

The version was later controversially adopted by some Christian private schools for singing as a hymn at internal assemblies. The substituted verse did not appear in the 1879 publication of Peter Dodds McCormick’s original work. The office of Prime Minister Julia Gillard said that, under national protocols, the anthem should not be modified and alternative words should not be used.

Substituted verse

With Christ our head and cornerstone,

We'll build our Nation's might.

Whose way and truth and light alone

Can guide our path aright.

Our lives, a sacrifice of love

Reflect our Master's care.

With faces turned to heaven above

Advance Australia fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing

Advance Australia fair!