Australia Day

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

Table of contents

1 Celebrations
2 Criticism
3 Suggested changes to the date
4 External links

4.1 History
4.2 Official sites
4.3 Critical

Celebrations

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, however should this happen to fall on a weekend, a public holiday is still held on the following Monday.

Australia Day is marked by civic celebrations around the country, including Order of Australia and Australian of the Year awards for outstanding achievement. Air Force air displays are held in some capital cities. Citizenship ceremonies are also held on Australia Day.

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 lining the river foreshore for the display.

Criticism

Many Australians are indifferent to the celebrations and treat the day as just another holiday. The celebrations arouse dislike in others; some comment on how the arrival of the British to Australia affected the Aboriginal people of the country and some term Australia Day "Invasion Day," regarding it as celebrating Aboriginal subjugation. This has also led to discussion about changing the date of Australia Day.

Suggested changes to the date

Some have suggested making ANZAC Day Australia's national day, or changing to January 1, commemorating 1 January 1901 when Australia's six colonies federated into one nation. Each of the alternatives raised also pose problems — ANZAC Day because many war veterans believe that it is their day, also that it is also a New Zealand national holiday, 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, and 4 July in the United States.

Unless suitable alternatives reveal themselves naturally with a consensus of support, Australia Day is almost certain to remain 26 January.