Thread: Happy Australia Day

Another light hearted look. From Bran' Nue Day.

Bran Nue Dae - There's nothing I would rather be... - Bing video

I love this song, been to Broome a few times, it just seems to be the place that represents the real Australia, every nationality just blended into an amorphous mass. There's good light in Broome, got to go back there .

Missy Higgins - Feel Like Going Back Home - Bran Nue Dae - Bing video

On this day, 26 January. It seems the first celebration of the day was in 1817, there was an emancipists dinner [ ex-convicts and the sons of convicts] in Sydney.

“When we look at Australia from a diverse viewpoint, we have these fascinating views – some very seductive, warm and glowing, and others are bitter, angry, with dark colours…Australia Day is a day like no other, in which we ask all of our citizens to reflect on the Australia we have today, and project their wishes for the Australia we’d like in the future.”






Earliest celebrants

The earliest celebrants of Australia Day were emancipists – ex-convicts and the sons of convicts – who found prosperity in this new land. An edition of the Sydney Gazette in 1817 records an ’emancipists’ dinner’ held to commemorate ‘Foundation Day’ or ‘Landing Day’ on 26 January 1817.

That same year, the colonies had been united under the name Australia, after a suggestion from the island’s circumnavigator, Matthew Flinders – the birth of Australia as a nation had begun.
Celebrations grew in prominence in 1818, on the 30th anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet, when Governor Macquarie made the 26 January a public holiday and fired 30 guns in celebration.

The nation’s 50-year jubilee in 1838 saw the anniversary shift to an official annual public holiday, and was also the second year of the regatta which still takes place in Sydney on 26 January.
It wasn’t until 1946 that the name ‘Australia Day’ was adopted, and the ‘Australia Day Council’ was appointed to oversee its celebration.


On this day: Australia Day, 26 January - Australian Geographic

The origins of Australia Day. Is it even the right date?

In addition the date of Australia Day sometimes raises brows. Indeed, in the History of New South Wales from the Records it’s noted that Arthur Phillip makes no mention in his report to England of the ceremony on 26 January 1788. And, it wasn’t until 7 February that the whole colony was formally assembled in Port Jackson, and Arthur Phillip was appointed Governor.





On this day: The origins of January 26 - Australian Geographic

20 Australian inventions that changed the World.

20 Australian inventions that changed the world (australiangeographic.com.au)

Originally Posted by bob10

The origins of Australia Day. Is it even the right date?

Who cares? it's been the right date for the 67 years I've been alive. Who knows how the calendar was observed centuries ago.

Originally Posted by Tins

Who cares? it's been the right date for the 67 years I've been alive. Who knows how the calendar was observed centuries ago.

I think it is important that we celebrate something like Australia day for a reason. Like the US celebrates the 4th of July. Australia Day should really be the date of Federation. That's the 1st January , 1901. Or the opening of the first Parliament. 9th May 1901.

Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901, when the British Parliament passed legislation enabling the six Australian colonies to collectively govern in their own right as the Commonwealth of Australia.

Ironically the date Australia was occupied - the country was not even called Australia and at the time it was only the east coast of New Holland that the British were “claiming” as the Colony of New South Wales. The west coast wasn’t even part of the claim at the time - that came 41 years later.

So I get it is seen as Foundation Day - especially for NSW, but we do need to acknowledge it remains a day of mourning for many as well. Certainly has nothing to do with becoming Australia.

The very first “Australia Day” was held on the 30 July 1915 to support the war effort as a national day to stir up patriotic feelings.

Time we find a date we can truly celebrate being Australian (“one and free”) - as the original Australia Day committee envisaged - and not to recognise NSW being founded as a British Penal Colony.