What Is Austrailia Day: Happy Australia Day is celebrated on January 26. Join the 26 million Australians who are celebrating the anniversary of the founding of their country in 1788. Australia is known for being a beautiful place to live and visit. The oldest, driest, and flattest continent in the world has a lot to teach and learn. Before we come up with creative ways to make Australia Day even better, let’s take a quick look at some history!
History of Australia Day
On January 26, Australia’s official national holiday, we remember the arrival of British ships in 1788, which was the first sign of European settlement in the country. More than 700 prisoners, mostly small-time offenders found guilty in the UK, were put on the eleven ships and sent to prison colonies in the Pacific and North America, among other places. Another 300 people who had served in the military or in the medical field joined them and helped build the new colony.
In 1818, people first remembered that the British controlled the eastern coast of Australia. This event has had many names over the years, such as “ANA” Day, “Anniversary Day,” and “Foundation Day.” In 1935, all fifty Australian states and territories agreed that “Australia Day” should be the official name. In 1994, January 26 was made a national holiday.
Australia Day is the country’s biggest civic event and a day for everyone to come together. It includes making new Australian citizens feel welcome, giving out national prizes, and keeping family and community traditions alive. But current views don’t agree.
Indigenous people in Australia mark January 26 as “National Day of Mourning” or “Invasion Day” to protest the British coming to their land. Some people see countercelebrations, which start a heated argument. William Cooper made it a “Day of Mourning” in 1938 to honor the reenactment of Phillip’s landing, which happens every year.
Today is Australia Day, a time to remember the pain that many Aboriginal people’s ancestors went through during colonization. There have been protests in response to plans to change the date to honor Indigenous Australians. In order to get people from all backgrounds to respect their country as a multicultural society, the Australian government honors the traditional owners of the lands where Australia Day is held.
Australia Day timeline
A Long Time Ago
The fact that people live in Australia is the first proof that people live on the continent.
1644
Holland and New York
A Dutch explorer named Abel Tasman calls Australia “New Holland” and looks at its northern coast.
1901
The Commonwealth came into being.
The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of six former British colonies that work together under one Constitution.
1938
peaceful protests
Native Americans hold protests against Australia Day on January 26. These are called “Day of Mourning.”
Ways to Observe Australia Day
Best of luck to the Australian of the Year! Since their start in the 1960s, the Australian of the Year Awards have been honoring remarkable people from all over the country. These awardees are the best at what they do, make a big difference in their communities and the country as a whole, and are great examples for everyone else in Australia. As the awards are given out on Australia Day, take a moment to thank and celebrate all the winners on social media.
Get the grill ready for shrimp: Celebrate Australia Day by having a BBQ, which is a tradition in the country. People often eat sausages, beef steaks, and lamb chops, so don’t be surprised if you hear some Australian slang. Follow along with the phrase. If you hear “shrimp on the barbie,” it’s likely prawns. “Brekky” means breakfast, “thongs” means flip-flops, “bogan” means rednecks, “bloody oath” means yes or true, and “g’day” means hello!
Watch the Ferrython: Remember the famous Ferrython on January 26 in Sydney if you’re there. Go to Barangaroo Wharf around 11 a.m. to see the annual ferry race from there to Shark Island. The race ends at the Sydney Harbour Bridge. There are beautiful views at this event, which is one of the most popular in the country. You can watch for free from the shore, but you can buy tickets for a unique and unforgettable trip on one of the boats.
5 Fun Australia Day Traditions
For Australia Day, the Brisbane Cockroach Race Series is one of the strangest events.
There are a lot of different cultures in Australia, and more than 75% of people think that Australia Day is a time to celebrate and honor them.
A lot of people wear green and gold on Australia Day because they are officially the country’s colors (they were made official in 1984).
A jar of Vegemite is a must-have for Australia Day! People all over the country love this famous dark brown yeast spread. Every year, it sells over 22 million jars.
National anthem: “Advance Australia Fair” was written in 1878 and became the national anthem of Australia in 1984. On Australia Day, it is done to show pride in the country.
Why We Love Australia
Australia is home to kangaroos and koalas, so most people think of their home country when they hear the words. People love these animals because they are cute and unique, and seeing them is a big deal for many tourists who come to the country. There are more than 50 million kangaroos in Australia, which means there are two kangaroos for every person. On the other hand, there are only about 43,000 koalas.
Beautiful Beaches: Over 80% of Australians live within 50 kilometers of the coast, and the country has 10,000 beautiful beaches. It would take 27 years to visit a new beach every day. Many of us wish we could live in Australia because it has so many beautiful beaches that make it a great place to vacation.
The “Great Outdoors”: Australia has beaches, but it also has 550 national parks and 15 World Heritage-listed sites. In Australia, there are a lot of outdoor activities that you can do. Even though there is a lot of natural beauty, it’s still easy to get to modern city life in places like Melbourne.
What is Australia Day and why is it celebrated?
Australia Day (January 26) is our national day, which marks the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia. In 1770, while Lieutenant James Cook was on his voyage to observe the Transit of Venus, he was ordered to find new land for the British Crown.
Australia Day is still officially the country’s national holiday. It is celebrated every year on January 26 or the next available weekday if that date falls on a weekend. One year, on January 26, 2022, which was a Saturday, the event took place on January 27, the following Monday.
For many years, this date has been celebrated as an important one in Australia’s history. Over the years, the reasons for the celebrations have changed. Australia Day was first created to honor the freedom of prisoners brought to Australia by British settlers.
People who celebrate Australia Day see it as a chance to learn more about what it means to be Australian while also honoring the day’s historical roots.
Who created Australia Day?
Governor Lachlan Macquarie
It was not until the thirtieth anniversary of European settlement, in 1818, that Governor Lachlan Macquarie officially created a public holiday in New South Wales. During this time other newly founded colonies were also celebrating their own beginnings, through sporting events, picnics and anniversary dinners.
At first, Sydney’s calendars called it either First Landing Day or Foundation Day to honor Captain Arthur Phillip’s arrival in Sydney on January 26, 1788. This was not made a public holiday in New South Wales until 1818, which was the 31st anniversary of European settlement. Governor Lachlan Macquarie made it official. At the same time, other colonies that had just been founded celebrated their beginnings with picnics, sports games, and anniversary dinners.
How important is Australia Day?
The 26 January is an important date in Australia’s history that has evolved over time. Starting as a celebration for emancipated convicts, today it is a day to acknowledge past wrongs and show respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ survival, resilience and enduring culture.
In Australian history, January 26 is important because it marks the start of a journey that will change everything. It started out as a celebration for prisoners who had been set free. Now, it’s used to bring attention to past wrongs and show respect for the survival, strength, and ongoing culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This day is also a time to honor the lives, histories, and achievements of Australians who fought for the freedoms and principles we take for granted every day. On Australia Day, we honor the many cultures, traditions, and religions that make our country unique.
Even though it started out small, Australia Day is still very popular, and three out of four Australians understand its deeper meaning beyond just being a day off. More than half of the people in Australia take part in Australia Day by going to events put on by state governments, local councils, and community groups or just getting together with family and friends. Today is a big day because it’s when over 16,000 new Australians take the oath of citizenship, which makes the country richer.
How do you celebrate Australia Day respectfully?
Talk with your local First Peoples’ community members to inform yourself of their views on the date. This will help you develop a respectful approach. Share your new knowledge and have respectful conversations with family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours about what you’ve learned and the different perspective.
Talking to the local First Peoples community is a good way to learn about the different points of view on the Australia Day date. We can respectfully make a plan that takes into account their experiences and worries if we talk to them and learn from their points of view.
It is very important to teach your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors what you have learned. Respectful conversations about the different points of view on Australia Day can help people understand and care about each other.
You might want to ask Elders to play a special role in planning Australia Day celebrations, like leading a “Welcome to Country.” But if they don’t want to take part, it’s important to understand how they feel and be willing to listen to what they have to say about what this day means to them.
Guest speakers need to stress that while First Peoples enjoy their heritage, Australia Day may make people feel sad or angry, which are both valid parts of our national day. Recognize the local Aboriginal community and draw attention to the First Peoples’ important place in event programs or leaflets.
On January 26, you can take part in an Acknowledgement of Country and learn about the people who have lived on the land you live on for a long time. Consider including a moment of silence at the start of official celebrations so that people can think about the history of our country.
To have a bigger effect on the organization as a whole, join the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group at work or speak out in support of the RAP journey. We can make the Australia Day celebration more welcoming and respectful by taking these steps.
Why is Australia Day an issue?
Australia Day focuses on Black recognition in constitution Australia Day is known to many Indigenous people as Invasion Day and Survival Day, because of the disastrous impacts on First Nations people of British colonists taking their land without a treaty.
Australia had a state holiday to mark the 235th anniversary of British colonialism, a day that makes people feel bad about how unfair things are for Indigenous people. The country’s attention has now turned to a new government plan to include Australia’s native people in the country’s Constitution.
In an important move, the government and several large companies let workers choose whether to take the holiday off or work on Thursday and then take another day off later. This choice shows that people are becoming more and more worried about remembering the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove in 1788.
Many people want to change the date of Australia Day. This is especially true for Indigenous people, who call it “Invasion Day” or “Survival Day.” People wanted to change because they saw how badly it hurt First Nations people when British colonists took their land without a treaty.
In the past, government and military officials have played a big role in celebrating Australia Day, which is marked by a number of public events. Since the 1940s, when more people started coming to Australia, the day has grown to include citizenship ceremonies. Even now, sporting events like horse races and regattas are a big part of the celebrations. The day ends with fireworks to cap off the fun.
But since the late 1990s, Aboriginal people and people who support them have said that Australia Day celebrations are too nationalistic. They want more people to know about the continent’s native people and how Europeans have changed things for them.