National Song Poll

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.

Numbers and percentages of first preference votes recorded for each of the songs, for each state and territory

State/ Territory	Enrolment	First Preference Votes				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	2 766 606
VIC	2 252 439	370 699 *20.46	728 349 *40.20	117 694 *6.50	595 010 *32.84	2 072 476
QLD	1 240 739	217 028 *21.22	469 278 *45.88	65 910 *6.44	270 518 *26.45	1 133 235
WA	682 441	122 556 *22.81	202 778 *37.73	84 232 *15.67	127 824 *23.79	613 426
SA	799 063	119 360 *17.91	160 648 *24.11	227 356 *34.12	159 011 *23.86	743 206
TAS	259 620	49 006 *22.31	92 491 *42.10	21 951 *9.99	56 252 *25.60	244 801
NT	38 209	679 *18.08	1 410 *37.55	533 *14.19	1 133 *30.17	3 926
ACT	120 875	1 468 *6.73	7 887 *36.14	1 863 *8.54	10 607 *48.60	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	7 599 874

* Percentage of first preference votes recorded in favour of the individual songs – to formal votes.

National Song Poll – formal and informal votes

State/ Territory	Formal	Informal
NSW	2 485 437	281 169
VIC	1 811 752	260 724
QLD	1 022 734	110 501
WA	537 390	76 036
SA	666 375	76 831
TAS	219 700	25 101
NT	3 755	171
ACT	21 825	373
TOTAL	6 768 968	830 906

Source: 1991 Parliamentary Handbook. Parliamentary Library.