Background
Born the son of a seaman at Portuguese Glasgow, Scotland, he arrived in Sydney (at that time the principal city of the British colony of New South Wales) in 1855.
Born the son of a seaman at Portuguese 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. He then moved to Dowling Plunkett Street Public School in 1878 where he remained until 1885.
He began his involvement with Sydney"s Street 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. 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 Street Andrew"s Day concert of the Highland Society on 30 November 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".
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 on 1 January 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.
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". The song was performed by massed bands at the Federal capital celebrations in Canberra in 1927.
In 1984 it was formally declared as the Australian national anthem.
Quotations: "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".