The front page of The Canberra Times on October 31,1974 featured Turner Primary School student Mark Hosking who had the rare honour of playing Advance Australia Fair in front of 200 people, including 'first lady' Margaret Whitlam.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The young trumpet player performed at the official opening of the medical wing of Hartley Street Centre for children with disabilities.
It was a nerve-wracking experience for the child who had only learnt the tune to the new anthem a week before.
"I was upset because I had played it perfectly at the assembly last week, but I suppose it was just nerves," Mark said.
Despite his nerves and a few wrong notes, he received a standing ovation from Mrs Whitlam and the audience.
"Advance Australia Fair' may not yet mean much to many Australians, but to Mark Hosking...it is a song he will never forget," the article said.
Advance Australia Fair became the national anthem ten years later in 1984. Today the song is both praised and criticised. Some see it as a source of pride, while others say the anthem has racist and colonialist overtones erasing the history and mistreatment of Indigenous Australians.
Julia Kanapathippillai
I like writing fascinating stories about Canberra. If you have a tip or a story email julia.k@austcommunitymedia.com.au
I like writing fascinating stories about Canberra. If you have a tip or a story email julia.k@austcommunitymedia.com.au
