National Song Poll
Updated: 6 June 2011
The only other national issue which was not a proposal to amend the Constitution, was the poll for a national song, held on 21 May 1977.
Voting in the poll for the National Song was voluntary.
Preferential voting was used, as for a House of Representatives election, and after the distribution of preferences, Advance Australia Fair, became the national song.
The other songs that were listed on the ballot paper were God Save The Queen, Song Of Australia and Waltzing Matilda.
| State/ Territory |
Enrolment | First Preference Votes | Formal | Informal | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| God Save The Queen | Advance Australia Fair | Song of Australia | Waltzing Matilda | |||||
| NSW | 3 002 241 | 376 539 *15.15 |
1 277 853 *51.41 |
133 297 *5.36 |
697 748 *28.07 |
2 485 437 | 281 169 | 2 766 606 |
| VIC | 2 252 439 | 370 699 *20.46 |
728 349 *40.20 |
117 694 *6.50 |
595 010 *32.84 |
1 811 752 | 260 724 | 2 072 476 |
| QLD | 1 240 739 | 217 028 *21.22 |
469 278 *45.88 |
65 910 *6.44 |
270 518 *26.45 |
1 022 734 | 110 501 | 1 133 235 |
| WA | 682 441 | 122 556 *22.81 |
202 778 *37.73 |
84 232 *15.67 |
127 824 *23.79 |
537 390 | 76 036 | 613 426 |
| SA | 799 063 | 119 360 *17.91 |
160 648 *24.11 |
227 356 *34.12 |
159 011 *23.86 |
666 375 | 76 831 | 743 206 |
| TAS | 259 620 | 49 006 *22.31 |
92 491 *42.10 |
21 951 *9.99 |
56 252 *25.60 |
219 700 | 25 101 | 244 801 |
| NT | 38 209 | 679 *18.08 |
1 410 *37.55 |
533 *14.19 |
1 133 *30.17 |
3 755 | 171 | 3 926 |
| ACT | 120 875 | 1 468 *6.73 |
7 887 *36.14 |
1 863 *8.54 |
10 607 *48.60 |
21 825 | 373 | 22 198 |
| TOTAL | 8 395 627 | 1 257 335 *18.65 |
2 940 694 *43.61 |
652 836 *9.68 |
1 918 103 *28.45 |
6 768 968 | 830 906 | 7 599 874 |
* Percentage of first preference votes recorded in favour of the individual songs – to formal votes
Source: 1991 Parliamentary Handbook. Parliamentary Library
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