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{{Short description|Australian schoolteacher and songwriter (1833–1916)}}
{{One source|date=October 2022|article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{infobox person
| image        = Peter Dodds McCormick (1833-1916) portrait.jpg
| caption      = Peter Dodds McCormick
| name         = Peter Dodds McCormick
| other_names  = Amicus (Latin for ''Friend'')
| birth_date   = {{Birth date|1833|01|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place  = [[Port Glasgow]], Scotland, United Kingdom
| death_date   = {{death date and age |1916|10|30|1833|01|28|df=yes}}
| death_place  = [[Sydney]], New South Wales, Australia
| occupation   = Composer, teacher
| years active = 1855–1913
| known_for    = Composing ''[[Advance Australia Fair]]''
}}
'''Peter Dodds McCormick''' (28 January 1833{{spaced ndash}}30 October 1916) was an Australian schoolteacher and songwriter, known for composing the Australian [[national anthem]], "[[Advance Australia Fair]]". He published under the pseudonym Amicus, Latin for "friend".

==Early life==
Peter Dodds McCormick was born to Peter McCormick and Janet ({{nee|Dodds}}) at [[Port Glasgow]], Scotland in 1833.<ref name=adb/>

== Biography ==
Peter completed an apprenticeship as a [[joiner]] in Scotland<ref name="adb" /> before emigrating to [[Sydney]] (at that time the principal city of the British colony of [[New South Wales]]) on 21 February 1855.<ref name="adb" /><ref name="SMH Obituary">{{cite news|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15685938|title=Death of Mr. P. D. McCormick|newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|issue=24,592|date=31 October 1916|accessdate=22 July 2016|page=8|via=[[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref> He initially worked as a joiner for "some years".<ref name="SMH Obituary" />

McCormick spent most of his work life employed by the [[New South Wales Department of Education and Training|NSW Education Department]]. In 1863 he was appointed teacher-in charge at St Mary's National School. McCormick married Emily Boucher, a sewing teacher, on 16 July 1863,<ref name="adb" /> who died on 11 March 1866, aged 22.<ref name="SMH March 1866">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article13128368 |title=Family Notices |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |volume=LIII |issue=8683 |date=21 March 1866 |access-date=16 October 2021 |page=9 |via=[[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref> He remarried, to Emma Elizabeth Dening, on 22 December 1866.<ref name="adb" /> He also taught at the Presbyterian Denominational school in the Sydney suburb of [[Woolloomooloo, New South Wales|Woolloomooloo]] in 1867. McCormick then moved to Dowling Plunkett Street Public School in 1878 where he remained until 1885.<ref name="adb">{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=mccormick-peter-dodds-7323 | title = Biography – McCormick, Peter Dodds (1833–1916) | last = Fletcher | first = Jim | year = 2006 | access-date = 16 October 2021 | isbn = 	978-0-522-84459-7 }}</ref>

McCormick was heavily involved in the [[Church of Scotland|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, Sydney|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 New South Wales|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]].<ref name=adb/>

Also a talented composer, he published around 30 patriotic and [[Music of Scotland|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 30 November 1878.<ref name=adb/>

"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'' (which means 'friend' in Latin), he had the music and four verses published by W. H. Paling & Co. Ltd.<ref name=adb/> 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 [[Government of New South Wales|New South Wales Government]] awarded McCormick £100 for his patriotic composition which he registered for [[copyright]] in 1915.<ref name="adb" />

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:

{{cquote|One night I attended a great concert in the Exhibition Building, when all the National Anthems of the world were to be sung by a large choir with band accompaniment. This was very nicely done, but I felt very aggravated that there was not one note for Australia. On the way home in a bus, I concocted the first verse of my song & when I got home I set it to music. I first wrote it in the Tonic Sol-fa notation, then transcribed it into the Old Notation, & I tried it over on an instrument next morning, & found it correct. Strange to say there has not been a note of it altered since. Some alteration has been made in the wording, but the sense is the same. It seemed to me to be like an inspiration, & I wrote the words & music with the greatest ease.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nla.gov.au/anbd.bib-an000008257145|title=Letters [manuscript]|publisher=National Library of Australia|accessdate=28 April 2008}} Letter to R.B. Fuller Esq. dated 1 August 1913</ref>}}

==Death==

McCormick died in 1916, aged 83, at his home, Clydebank, in the Sydney suburb of [[Waverley, New South Wales|Waverley]] and he was buried at [[Rookwood Cemetery]].<ref name="SMH Obituary"/> 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".<ref name=adb/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hamilton.net.au/advance/author.html|title=Peter Dodds McCormick|accessdate=30 October 2007}}</ref>

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, replacing God Save the Queen.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Australian National Anthem |url=https://www.pmc.gov.au/honours-and-symbols/australian-national-symbols/australian-national-anthem |access-date=2025-09-08 |website=Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikisource|works=or}}
* {{ChoralWiki|P. D. McCormick}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCormick, Peter Dodds}}
[[Category:1833 births]]
[[Category:1916 deaths]]
[[Category:Scottish Presbyterians]]
[[Category:Scottish emigrants to colonial Australia]]
[[Category:Australian male composers]]
[[Category:Australian composers]]
[[Category:Australian Presbyterians]]
[[Category:National anthem writers]]
[[Category:Australian stonemasons]]
[[Category:Burials at Rookwood Cemetery]]