Music to express national pride is sometimes written specifically for that purpose, and sometimes is adopted as patriotic by virtue of its associations or performance environment. In Australia, especially during the 19th century when a significant proportion of the population was of British origin, patriotic devotion was often felt for the 'Mother country'.
As Australia progressed from its colonial phase to Federation, and with its participation in foreign wars and changing patterns of migration, the patriotic genre of music changed to reflect an independent Australia rather than a collection of British colonies.