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'Australia Day' is Australia's official national day, 26 January. It commemorates the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on that day in 1788.

Contents

History

Celebrations

Criticism and alternative celebrations

Suggested changes to the date

References

External links

History

26 January 1788 was the date on which the First Fleet, under Captain Arthur Phillip arrived at Sydney Cove and set up the Colony of New South Wales. By 26 January 1808, the day that the New South Wales Corps arrested Governor Bligh in the Rum Rebellion, it was being celebrated as 'First Landing' or 'Foundation Day'. In 1818 (the 30th anniversary) Governor Macquarie had a 30-gun salute at Dawes Point and gave government workers a holiday^[1] - a tradition that was soon followed by banks and other public offices.
In 1888 all colonial capitals (with the exception of Adelaide) celebrated 'Anniversary Day' and by 1935 all states of Australia were celebrating 26 January as Australia Day (although it was still known as Anniversary Day in New South Wales).
The 1938 (150th anniversary) of British settlement in New South Wales in 1788 was widely celebrated. Preparations began in 1936 with the formation of a Celebrations Council. In that year, New South Wales was the only state to abandon the traditional long weekend and the annual Anniversary Day public holiday was held on the actual anniversary day - Wednesday 26 January.^[2]
In 1946 the Commonwealth and State governments agreed to unify the celebrations on 26 January as 'Australia Day', although the public holiday was instead taken on the Monday closest to 26 January.^[3]
Since 1994 all states and territories have taken the Australia Day public holiday on 26 January.

Celebrations

Australia Day banner South Bank Parklands, Brisbane, Queensland

Lotterywest Skyworks. Perth's Australia Day celebration attracted 500,000 people in 2006.

Australia Day is a national public holiday. For some years the holiday was held on the closest Monday, to provide a long weekend. It is now held on the actual anniversary, with that day being the public holiday.
The National Australia Day Council (NADC) is the coordinating body for the Australian of the Year Awards and Australia Day celebrations across the nation. The NADC heads a network of state and territory Australia Day affiliate organisations and local Australia Day committees.
Australia Day is marked by civic celebrations around the country, including the Order of Australia and Australian of the Year awards for outstanding achievement. Air Force aerial displays are held in some capital cities. In Sydney the ferry race and tall ships race has become tradition, along with a surfing race across the harbour.
Citizenship ceremonies are also held on Australia Day. The Australia Day Achievement Medallion is awarded to citizens based on excellence in both government and non-government organisations. Customarily, the Prime Minister will make an address to the nation.
Fireworks celebrations are held in many towns and cities around the country. The Perth Lotterywest Skyworks display is billed as the largest Australia Day celebration in the country, with more than a third of the city's population (around 500,000 estimated for the 2006 Skyworks) lining the river foreshore for the display.
The Australian music scene enjoys a significant event on Australia Day - the Triple J Hottest 100. The Sydney leg of the Big Day Out music festival has also traditionally occurred on Australia Day, however in 2007, the date was moved to 25 January partly because the event producer did not like how the flags were used last year. There is also often a one day cricket match such as the . In Canberra the Australia Day Live Concert takes place where the Australian of the Year is announced.

Criticism and alternative celebrations

To some Aboriginal Australians and sympathisers, the idea of celebrating the anniversary of the arrival of the British has been seen as incongruous with the adverse effects British settlement had on Australia's indigenous people. The sesquicentenary celebrations in 1938 were accompanied by an Aboriginal Day of Mourning and Protest. Another large protest in 1988 led to yearly "Invasion Day" protests marking the loss of indigenous culture.^[4] The anniversary is also known as "Survival Day" and marked by events such as the Survival Day concert first held in Sydney in 1992, celebrating the fact that the indigenous people and culture have not been completely wiped out.^[5]
In response, official celebrations have tried to include indigenous people, holding ceremonies such as the ''Woggan-ma-gule ceremony'' honouring the past and celebrating the present in Sydney in 2006, involving the New South Wales Governor and Indigenous Australians.
Australia Day is also treated with ambivalence by those who consider the anniversary of the founding of one colony not relevant to Australia as a whole. Some Western Australians point out that Western Australia was not even claimed by Britain until 19 September 1829. There is no great sense of attachment to Australia Day by some Australians from the Eastern coast either. The importance of Australia Day as a national event is downplayed by a minority of Australians as a cultural cringe .
In recent years, Australia Day has been celebrated more intensely by all, Anglo-Australians in particular, and the day creates nationalist sentiment. Some critics regard this nationalist sentiment as racist towards the many different cultures that coexist within the country's borders, especially the Aborigines.

Suggested changes to the date

Some have suggested making ANZAC Day Australia's national day, or changing to 1 January, commemorating 1 January 1901 when Australia's six colonies federated into one nation. Each of the alternatives raised also poses problems — ANZAC Day because many war veterans believe that it is their day, and that it is also a public holiday in New Zealand, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga, while 1 January is already a public holiday and is in the middle of the Christmas holiday season.
Many supporters of the continued use of Australia Day as Australia's national day point out that 26 January commemorates an actual historical event, similar to ANZAC Day, Bastille Day in France, Canada Day in Canada, Independence Day in the United States, and Republic Day in various nations.

References

1. Sydney Gazette, 24 January 1818 (quoted in ''More Pig Bites Baby! Stories from Australia's First Newspaper'', volume 2, ed. Micahel Connor, Duffy and Snellgrove, 2004, ISBN 1-876631-91-0)
2. Australia Day - History
3. History of Australia Day
4. 'Invasion Day' protesters highlight injustice
5. Significant Aboriginal Events in Sydney

External links

;History

★ Wilson's Almanac on Australia Day
;Official sites

★ National Australia Day Council

★ Australia Day Council, New South Wales

★ Australia Day Council, Australian Capital Territory

★ Australia Day Committee, Victoria

★ Australia Day, Queensland

★ Australia Day Council, South Australia

★ Australia Day Council, Western Australia

★ Australia Day Council, Tasmania

★ Australia Day Council, Northern Territory
;Critical

★ ''The relevancy of Australia Day'' by Dr Joe Toscano
;Commentary

★ Country gets wrapped up in the flag Tony Stephens