Australian plebiscite, 1977 (National Song)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As an additional question in the 1977 referendum, the voters were polled on which song they would prefer to be used to mark occasions where a particularly Australian national identity was desired. Voting on this question was not compulsory. According to the AEC Electoral Pocketbook - this was one of only three plebiscites to be held in Australia - the previous two had been regarding military service in 1916 and 1917.

1 Results
2 Discussion
3 External links
4 Reference
5 See also

[edit] Results

Against the background that ‘GOD SAVE THE QUEEN’ is the NATIONAL ANTHEM to be played on Regal and Vice Regal occasions, electors may indicate their preferences as to which of the tunes of the songs listed below they would prefer to be played on other occasions.

Result
State	On rolls	Ballots issued	God Save the Queen		Advance Australia Fair		Song of Australia		Waltzing Matilda		Informal
State	On rolls	Ballots issued	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Number	%	Informal
NSW	3,007,511	2,537,805	348,885	%15.32	1,169,421	%51.35	121,456	%5.33	637,795	%28.00	260,248
Vic.	2,252,831	1,951,160	352,603	%20.68	683,451	%40.09	110,591	%6.49	557,991	%32.73	246,524
Qld	1,241,426	1,056,804	204,453	%21.38	438,929	%45.90	61,234	%6.40	251,609	%26.31	100,579
SA	799,243	706,392	114,477	%18.07	152,507	%24.07	215,085	%33.95	151,434	%23.90	72,889
WA	682,291	235,525	113,054	%23.17	183,159	%37.54	75,524	%15.48	116,142	%23.81	68,394
Tas.	259,081	253,525	47,346	%22.38	88,825	%41.98	21,091	%9.97	54,329	%25.68	23,934
ACT	120,875	22,136	1,448	%6.65	7,857	%36.11	1,863	%8.56	10,593	%48.68	375
NT	38,209	2,951	423	%14.93	1,143	%40.35	413	%14.58	854	%30.14	118
Total	8,401,467	7,069,046	1,182,689	%18.78	2,725,292	%43.29	607,257	%9.65	1,780,747	%28.28	773,061

[edit] Discussion

Prior to 1974 God Save the Queen was Australia's national anthem.

In 1974 the Whitlam government performed a national poll, conducted through the Australian Bureau of Statistics, to determine the song to be sung on occasions of national significance. Advance Australia Fair was chosen and was enshrined as the national song, to be used on all occasions excepting those of a specifically regal nature.

Following the sacking of the Whitlam government in 1975, in January 1976 the Fraser government reinstated God Save the Queen for royal, vice-regal, defence, and loyal toast occasions, and made plans to conduct a national poll to find a song for use on ceremonial occasions when it was desired to mark a separate Australian identity.

[edit] External links

Australian Government website on this and other plebiscites

[edit] Reference

Electoral Pocketbook (includes 2004 federal election results) (June 2005) Media and Communication Section. Australian Electoral Commission. Kingston, ACT. ISBN 0-9752279-7-1