Australia Day - Jan 26, 1788 - HISTORY.com Australia Day Publisher A+E Networks On January 26, 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip guides a fleet of 11 British ships carrying convicts to the colony of New South Wales, effectively founding Australia. After overcoming a period of hardship, the fledgling colony began to celebrate the anniversary of this date with great fanfare. Australia, once known as New South Wales, was originally planned as a penal colony. In October 1786, the British government appointed Arthur Phillip captain of the HMS Sirius, and commissioned him to establish an agricultural work camp there for British convicts. With little idea of what he could expect from the mysterious and distant land, Phillip had great difficulty assembling the fleet that was to make the journey. His requests for more experienced farmers to assist the penal colony were repeatedly denied, and he was both poorly funded and outfitted. Nonetheless, accompanied by a small contingent of Marines and other officers, Phillip led his 1,000-strong party, of whom more than 700 were convicts, around Africa to the eastern side of Australia.

In all, the voyage lasted eight months, claiming the deaths of some 30 men. The first years of settlement were nearly disastrous. Cursed with poor soil, an unfamiliar climate and workers who were ignorant of farming, Phillip had great difficulty keeping the men alive. The colony was on the verge of outright starvation for several years, and the marines sent to keep order were not up to the task. Phillip, who proved to be a tough but fair-minded leader, persevered by appointing convicts to positions of responsibility and oversight. Floggings and hangings were commonplace, but so was egalitarianism. As Phillip said before leaving England: “In a new country there will be no slavery and hence no slaves.” Though Phillip returned to England in 1792, the colony became prosperous by the turn of the 19th century. Feeling a new sense of patriotism, the men began to rally around January 26 as their founding day.

Historian Manning Clarke noted that in 1808 the men observed the “anniversary of the foundation of the colony” with “drinking and merriment.” Finally, in 1818, January 26 became an official holiday, marking the 30th anniversary of British settlement in Australia. And, as Australia became a sovereign nation, it became the national holiday known as Australia Day. Today, Australia Day serves both as a day of celebration for the founding of the white British settlement, and as a day of mourning for the Aborigines who were slowly dispossessed of their land as white colonization spread across the continent. More on This Topic Australia Day in Australia Home Calendar Holidays Australia Australia Day Australia Day in Australia Australia Day is on January 26 and commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement at Port Jackson, now part of Sydney, in 1788. Celebrate Australia on Australia Day. Celebrate Australia on Australia Day. ©iStockphoto.com/RichVintage What Do People Do? Many people have a day off work and use the day among other things to barbecue, go to outdoor concerts, and to play or watch sports events. Different places in Australia celebrate the day differently.

For example, Sydney has boat races including a ferry race and the tall ships race, while Adelaide celebrates with a parade, concert, fireworks, and a cricket match. Australian citizenship ceremonies are often held on Australia Day. These are ceremonies to welcome immigrants who have been granted citizenship to the country. Although official, these ceremonies often have a festive atmosphere. Public Life Australia Day is a public holiday in all states and territories. All schools and post offices are closed. Some public transport services do not operate, and others run a reduced service. Stores are often open, but may have reduced opening hours. There may be some congestion on roads, particularly close to major events. Background January 26 marks the landing of Captain Arthur Phillip at Port Jackson in 1788. The landing is known as the First Fleet and had 11 ships with convicts. The arrival of the First Fleet represents the founding of the colony New South Wales. In 1818, on the 30th anniversary of the founding of the colony, the Governor of New South Wales gave all government employees a holiday. He also celebrated the day with a 30-gun salute and a ball. In the following years, employees of banks and other organizations were also given holidays.

Initially, it was only New South Wales that celebrated the day, and it was known as First Landing Day or Foundation Day. In 1838, 50 years after the First Fleet arrived, Foundation Day was declared Australia's first public holiday in New South Wales. By 1935, January 26 was known as Australia Day in all states except New South Wales, where it was still called Anniversary Day. From 1946, January 26 was called Australia Day in all states and territories, and since 1994, the Australia Day public holiday has been on January 26 throughout the country. Because it marks the day of colonization, Aboriginal Australians often feel that the celebrations on Australia Day exclude them. The day has been renamed Invasion Day, and protests do appear side-by-side the celebrations. In recent years, efforts have been made to make the holiday include all Australians, and in 2013, the Australian flag and Aboriginal flag were raised on the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the first time on Australia Day. Symbols The symbols of Australia are commonly used on Australia Day: The Australian national flag, with its representations of the Union Jack, the Commonwealth Star, and the five stars of the Southern Cross.

The national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, is played, but also Australia’s unofficial anthem, Waltzing Matilda, is a common song to be heard. Other symbols include the Golden Wattle, which is the national floral emblem, the opal, which is the national gemstone, and the national colors of green and gold. Australia Day Observances Australia Day - 必应 Sign in Australia Day Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia. Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at that site by Governor Arthur Phillip. In present-day Australia , celebrations reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation, and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Austral ... (展开) ian community. The meaning and significance of Australia Day has evolved over time. Unofficially, or historically, the date has also been variously named "Anniversary Day", "Invasion Day", "Foundation Day", and "ANA Day".

26 January 1788 marked the proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia (then known as New Holland). Although it was not known as Australia Day until over a century later, records of celebrations on 26 January date back to 1808, with the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales held in 1818. On New Year's Day 1901, the British colonies of Australia formed a Federation, marking the birth of modern Australia. A national day of unity and celebration was looked for. It was not until 1935 that all Australian states and territories had adopted use of the term " Australia Day" to mark the date, and not until 1994 that the date was consistently marked by a public holiday on that day by all states and territories. In contemporary Australia, the holiday is marked by the presentation of the Australian of the Year Awards on Australia Day Eve, announcement of the Australia Day Honours list and addresses from the Governor-General and Prime Minister. It is an official public holiday in every state and territory of Australia , unless it falls on a weekend in which case the following Monday becomes a public holiday instead.

With community festivals, concerts and citizenship ceremonies, the day is celebrated in large and small communities and cities around the nation. Australia Day has become the biggest annual civic event in Australia. Arrival of the First Fleet Main article: First Fleet On 13 May 1787 a fleet of 11 ships, which came to be known as the First Fleet, was sent by the British Admiralty from England to Australia. Under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip, the fleet sought to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay on the coast of New South Wales, which had been explored and claimed by Lieutenant James Cook in 1770. The settlement was seen as necessary because of the loss of the Thirteen Colonies in North America. The Fleet arrived between 18 and 20 January 1788, but it was immediately apparent that Botany Bay was unsuitable. On 21 January, Phillip and a few officers travelled to Port Jackson, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to the north, to see if it would be a better location for a settlement.

They stayed there until 23 January; Phillip named the site of their landing Sydney Cove, after the Home Secretary, Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney. They also made contact with the local Aboriginal people. They returned to Botany Bay on the evening of 23 January, when Phillip gave orders to move the fleet to Sydney Cove the next morning, 24 January. That day, there was a huge gale blowing, making it impossible to leave Botany Bay, so they decided to wait till the next day, 25 January. However, during 24 January, they spotted the ships Astrolabe and Boussole, flying the French flag, at the entrance to Botany Bay; they were having as much trouble getting into the bay as the First Fleet was having getting out.[citation needed] On 25 January the gale was still blowing; the fleet tried to leave Botany Bay, but only HMS Supply made it out, carrying Arthur Phillip, Philip Gidley King, some marines and about 40 convicts; they anchored in Sydney Cove in the afternoon.

On 26 January, early in the morning, Phillip along with a few dozen marines, officers and oarsmen, rowed ashore and took possession of the land in the name of King George III. The remainder of the ship's company and the convicts watched from on board Supply.[citation needed] Meanwhile, back at Botany Bay, Captain John Hunter of HMS Sirius made contact with the French ships, and he and the commander, Captain de Clonard, exchanged greetings. Clonard advised Hunter that the fleet commander was Jean-François de Galaup, comte de Lapérouse. Sirius successfully cleared Botany Bay, but the other ships were in great difficulty. Charlotte was blown dangerously close to rocks; Friendship and Prince of Wales became entangled, both ships losing booms or sails; Charlotte and the Friendship actually collided; and Lady Penrhyn nearly ran aground. Despite these difficulties, all the remaining ships finally managed to clear Botany Bay and sail to Sydney Cove on 26 January. The last ship anchored there at about 3 pm. The formal establishment of the Colony of New South Wales did not occur on 26 January as is commonly assumed.

It did not occur until 7 February 1788, when the formal proclamation of the colony and of Arthur Phillip's governorship were read out. The vesting of all land in the reigning monarch King George III also dates from 7 February 1788. First fifty years: 1788 to 1838 Although there was no official recognition of the colony's anniversary, with the New South Wales Almanacks of 1806 and 1808 placing no special significance on 26 January, by 1808 the date was being used by the colony's immigrants, especially the emancipated convicts, to "celebrate their love of the land they lived in" with "drinking and merriment". The 1808 celebrations followed this pattern, beginning at sundown on 25 January, and lasted into the night, the chief toast of the occasion being Major George Johnston. Johnston had the honour of being the first officer ashore from the First Fleet, having been carried from the landing boat on the back of convict James Ruse.

Despite suffering the ill-effects of a fall from his gig on the way home to Annandale, Johnston led the officers of the New South Wales Corps in arresting Governor William Bligh on the following day, 26 January 1808, in what became known as the "Rum Rebellion". In 1817 The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser reported on one of these unofficial gatherings at the home of Isaac Nichols: On Monday the 27th ult. a dinner party met at the house of Mr. Isaac Nichols, for the purpose of celebrating the Anniversary of the Institution of this Colony under Governor Philip, which took place on 26 Jan. 1788, but this year happening upon a Sunday, the commemoration dinner was reserved for the day following. The party assembled were select, and about 40 in number. At 5 in the afternoon dinner was on the table, and a more agreeable entertainment could not have been anticipated. After dinner a number of loyal toasts were drank, and a number of festive songs given; and about 10 the company parted, well gratified with the pleasures that the meeting had afforded.

— The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser 1818 was the 30th anniversary of the founding of the colony, and Governor Lachlan Macquarie chose to acknowledge the day with the first official celebration. The Governor declared that the day would be a holiday for all government workers, granting each an extra allowance of "one pound of fresh meat", and ordered a 30 gun salute at Dawes Point – one for each year that the colony had existed. This began a tradition that was retained by the Governors that were to follow. Foundation Day, as it was known at the time, continued to be officially celebrated in New South Wales, and in doing so became connected with sporting events. One of these became a tradition that is still continued today: in 1837 the first running of what would become the Australia Day regatta was held on Sydney Harbour. Five races were held for different classes of boats, from first class sailing vessels to watermen's skiffs, and people viewed the festivities from both onshore and from the decks of boats on the harbour, including the steamboat Australian and Francis Freeling – the second of whom ran aground during the festivities and had to be refloated the next day.

Happy with the success of the regatta, the organisers resolved to make in an annual event. However, some of the celebrations had gained an air of elitism, with the "United Australians" dinner being limited to those born in Australia. In describing the dinner, the Sydney Herald justified the decision, saying: The parties who associated themselves under the title of "United Australians" have been censured for adopting a principle of exclusiveness. It is not fair so to censure them. If they invited emigrants to join them they would give offence to another class of persons – while if they invited all they would be subject to the presence of persons with whom they might not wish to associate. That was a good reason. The "Australians" had a perfect right to dine together if they wished it, and no one has a right to complain. — The Sydney Herald The following year, 1838, was the 50th anniversary of the founding of the colony, and as part of the celebrations Australia's first public holiday was declared.

The regatta was held for a second time, and people crowded the foreshores to view the events, or joined the five steamers (Maitland, Experiment, Australia, Rapid, and the miniature steamer Firefly) to view the proceedings from the water. At midday 50 guns were fired from Dawes' Battery as the Royal Standard was raised, and in the evening rockets and other fireworks lit the sky. The dinner was a smaller affair than the previous year, with only 40 in attendance compared to the 160 from 1837, and the anniversary as a whole was described as a "day for everyone". Centenary celebration: 1839 to 1888 Prior to 1888, 26 January was very much a New South Wales affair, as each of the colonies had their own commemorations for their founding. In Tasmania, Regatta Day occurred in December, South Australia had Proclamation Day 28 December, and Western Australia had their own Foundation Day (now Western Australia Day) on 1 June. In 1888, all colonial capitals except Adelaide celebrated 'Anniversary Day'.

In 1910, South Australia adopted Australia Day, followed by Victoria in 1931. 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 name 'Foundation Day' persisted in local usage. Australia Day Contemporary celebrations Since 1988 participation in Australia Day has increased and in 1994 all states and territories began to celebrate a unified public holiday on the actual day for the first time. Research conducted in 2007 reported that 27.6% of Australians polled attended an organised Australia Day event and a further 25.6% celebrated with family and friends making Australia Day the largest annual public event in the nation. This reflected the results of an earlier research project where 66% of respondents anticipated that they would actively celebrate Australia Day 2005. Outdoor concerts, community barbecues, sports competitions, festivals and fireworks are some of the many events held in communities across Australia. These official events are presented by the National Australia Day Council, an official council or committee in each state and territory, and local committees.

In Sydney the harbour is a focus and boat races are held, such as a ferry race and the tall ships race. In Adelaide the key celebrations are 'Australia Day in the City' which is a parade, concert and fireworks display held in Elder park and the traditional International Cricket match played at the Adelaide Oval. Featuring the People's March and the Voyages Concert, Melbourne's events focus strongly on the celebration of multiculturalism. Despite a drop in attendance in 2010, but with audiences still estimated at 400,000, the Perth Skyworks is the largest single event presented each Australia Day. Citizenship ceremonies are also commonly held with Australia Day now the largest occasion for the acquisition of Australian citizenship. On 26 January 2011, more than 300 citizenship ceremonies took place and 13,000 people from 143 countries took Australian citizenship. In recent years many citizenship ceremonies have included an affirmation by existing citizens. Research conducted in 2007 reported that 78.6% of respondents thought that citizenship ceremonies were an important feature of the day.

The official Australia Day Ambassador Program supports celebrations in communities across the nation by facilitating the participation of high-achieving Australians in local community celebrations. In 2011, 385 ambassadors participated in 384 local community celebrations. The Order of Australia awards are also a feature of the day. The Australia Day Achievement Medallion is awarded to citizens by local governments based on excellence in both government and non-government organisations. The Governor-General and Prime Minister both address the nation. On the eve of Australia Day each year, the Prime Minister announces the winner of the Australian of the Year award, presented to an Australian citizen who has shown a "significant contribution to the Australian community and nation" and is an "inspirational role model for the Australian community". Subcategories of the award include Young Australian of the Year and Senior Australian of the Year, and an award for Australia's Local Hero. Various music festivals are held on Australia Day, such as the Big Day Out, the Triple J Hottest 100, and the Australia Day Live Concert which is televised nationally. For many years an international cricket match has been held on Australia Day at the Adelaide Oval. These matches have included both Test matches and One Day Internationals.

Research in 2009 indicated that Australians reflect on history and future fairly equally on Australia Day. Of those polled, 43% agreed that history is the most important thing to think about on Australia Day and 41% said they look towards "our future", while 13% thought it was important to "think about the present at this time" and 3% were unsure. Despite the date reflecting the arrival of the First Fleet, contemporary celebrations are not particularly historical in their theme. There are no large-scale re-enactments and the national leader's participation is focused largely on events such as the Australian of the Year Awards announcement and Citizenship Ceremonies. Possibly reflecting a shift in Australians' understanding of the place of Indigenous Australians in their national identity, Newspoll research in November 2009 reported that ninety percent of Australians polled believed "it was important to recognise Australia's indigenous people and culture" as part of Australia Day celebrations. A similar proportion (89%) agreed that "it is important to recognise the cultural diversity of the nation". Despite the strong attendance at Australia Day events and a positive disposition towards the recognition of Indigenous Australians, the date of the celebrations remains a source of challenge and national discussion.

Australia Day Criticism For some Australians, particularly Indigenous Australians, Australia Day has become a symbol of the adverse impacts of British settlement on Australia's Indigenous people. The celebrations in 1938 were accompanied by an Aboriginal Day of Mourning. A large gathering of Aboriginal people in Sydney in 1988 led an "Invasion Day" commemoration marking the loss of Indigenous culture. 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. In response, official celebrations have tried to include Indigenous people, holding ceremonies such as the Woggan-ma-gule ceremony, which was held in Sydney in 2006 and honoured the past and celebrated the present; it involved Indigenous Australians and the Governor of New South Wales.[citation needed] "Invasion Day\ "Invasion Day" is a term used by some Indigenous figures and their supporters to refer to 26 January, and protests occur almost every year, sometimes at Australia Day events.

In January 1988, members of various Indigenous groups collectively made an effort to promote an awareness among other Australians of their presence, their needs and their desire that there should be communication, reconciliation and co-operation over the land rights issues. To this purpose, during January they set up a highly visible Tent Embassy at a shoreside location at a point called Mrs Macquarie's Chair, adjacent to the Sydney Royal Botanic Gardens. The embassy, consisting of several large marquees and smaller tents, was manned by a group of Aboriginal people from Eveleigh Street, Redfern, and was organised with the co-operation of the local council's department of parks and gardens. It became a gathering place for Aboriginal people from all over Sydney. One of the aims of the embassy was to be seen by the many thousands of Sydneysiders whom the organisers claimed did not know, and rarely even saw, any Aboriginal people. Australia Day Suggested changes to the date Both prior to the establishment of Australia Day as the national day of Australia, and in the years subsequent to its creation, several dates have been proposed for its celebration and, at various times, the possibility of moving Australia Day to an alternative date has been mooted.

While the reasons for such a move have been varied, concerns with the current arrangement have included: The current date, celebrating the foundation of the Colony of New South Wales, can be seen as lacking national significance. Australia Day falls during the school holidays, limiting the ability of schools to engage children in the event. The date can be perceived as being intrinsically connected to Australia's convict past, celebrating "Britain's driving ashore of Australia's first white citizens in chains". It fails to encompass all Australians, including members of the indigenous community and others who see it as commemorating the date of the invasion of their land. Connected to this is the suggestion that moving the date would be seen as a significant symbolic act. Amongst those calling for change have been Tony Beddison, then chairman of the Australia Day Committee (Victoria), who argued for change and requested debate on the issue in 1999; and Mick Dodson, who was Australian of the Year in 2009, called for debate in regard to when Australia Day was held. Proposed alternative dates Federation of Australia, 1 January[edit] As early as 1957, 1 January was suggested as a possible alternative day, to commemorate the Federation of Australia.

In 1902, the year after Federation, 1 January was named "Commonwealth Day". However, New Year's Day was already a public holiday, and Commonwealth Day did not gather much support. Day before British settlement, 25 January[edit] The day before Arthur Phillip's landing at Sydney Cove has been suggested as an alternative day,[by whom?][citation needed] as it would commemorate the last date when the Australian continent was solely occupied by its indigenous peoples. Moving the holiday back only one day would also have the advantage of being in the summer months, like the current date, ensuring fine weather in most parts of the country. Such a small change would also have little impact on retailers, and ensure public holidays remain distributed as they are currently. Anzac Day, 25 April[edit] There has been a degree of support in recent years for making Anzac Day, 25 April, Australia's national day, although the suggestions have also encountered strong opposition.

In 1999, prompted by Tony Beddison's call for the date to be changed, a merger with Anzac Day found support with Peter Hollingworth (Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, Queensland), and the Federal Leader of the Opposition, Kim Beazley. The suggestion was raised again in 2001, when the national president of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL), Major-General (retired) Peter Phillips, suggested that the merger may be possible in the future. Phillips was in the process of planning a major review into the future of Anzac Day, and the combination of the two caused considerable concern in the RSL. Although he subsequently stated that he was misrepresented, and that the review was not considering a merger of the two dates, the suggestion sparked controversy. The idea was strongly opposed, with both Prime Minister John Howard and Opposition Leader Kim Beazley speaking against the concept.

(Beazley clarified his earlier stance by stating that he did not support a merger, but that he nevertheless saw Anzac Day as the true national day of Australia.) Counter arguments to merging the two holidays include the belief that many war veterans view Anzac Day as their day; that Anzac Day is also a public holiday in New Zealand, Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tonga; and that a merger would detract from the core purpose of Anzac Day – to honour the war dead. Opening of the first Federal Parliament, 9 May[edit] The date 9 May is also sometimes suggested, being not only the date on which the first Federal Parliament was opened in Melbourne in 1901, but also the date of the opening of the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra in 1927, and the date of the opening of the New Parliament House in 1988. The date has, at various times, won the support of Queensland Premier Peter Beattie, Tony Beddison, and Geoffrey Blainey.

However, as with the Eureka Stockade, the date has been seen by some as being too closely connected with Victoria, and its location close to the start of winter has been described as an impediment. Anniversary of the 1967 referendum, 27 May[edit] The anniversary of the 1967 referendum to amend the constitutional status of Aborigines has also been suggested as an alternative. The day of the referendum was 27 May and the resulting amendments to the constitution were made on 10 August. The changes made enabled Aborigines to be accounted for under federal law, and to be included in the national census. The public vote in favour was 90.77%. The event was a milestone in the recognition of Indigenous rights in Australia. Eureka Stockade, 3 December[edit] The Eureka Stockade on 3 December has had a long history as an alternative choice for Australia Day, having been proposed by The Bulletin in the 1880s. The Eureka uprising occurred in 1854 during the Victorian gold rush, and saw a failed rebellion by the miners against the Victorian colonial government.

Although the rebellion was crushed, it led to significant reforms, and has been described as being the birthplace of Australian democracy. Supporters of the date have included senator Don Chipp and Victorian Premier Steve Bracks. Nevertheless, the idea failed to gain traction in the 1880s, possibly due to the loyalty of the colonialists to Britain, for "even in Ballarat Eureka had to be forgotten." The Eureka Stockade idea has opposed after being claimed by both "hard-left unions" and "right-wing nationalist groups", and amongst some it is still seen as an essentially Victorian event. Other recommended dates[edit] Wattle Day on 1 September has been proposed as a unifying national patriotic holiday by the Wattle Day Association, and has been raised as an alternative date for Australia Day. There is a degree of historical precedent to the suggestion: Wattle Day was celebrated as Australia Day in South Australia for many years, though from 1915 to 1918, Australia Day was celebrated there on 26 July, placing it close to Wattle Day.

Constitution Day, 9 July is also suggested as a possible alternative, commemorating the day in 1900 when Queen Victoria gave her assent to the Constitution of Australia. 3 March, Anniversary of the Australia Act 1986 coming into effect. "A Proclamation, signed by Queen Elizabeth II at Government House in Canberra on 2 March 1986, stated that the Act will come into effect at 5.00am Greenwich Mean Time the next day." "Australia Act 1986". Museum of Australian Democracy. Retrieved 28 January 2012. Opposition to change Any decision to change the date of Australia Day would have to be made by a combination of the Australian Federal and State Governments. In recent years such a move has lacked sufficient support, with both Prime Ministers and Leaders of the Opposition speaking against the idea. In 2001 the Prime Minister John Howard stated that he acknowledged Aboriginal concerns with the date, but that it was nevertheless a significant day in Australia's history, and thus he was in favour of retaining the current date.

He also noted that 1 January, which was being discussed in light of the Centenary of Federation, was inappropriate as it coincided with New Year's Day. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd gave a "straightforward no" to a change of date, speaking in response to Mick Dodson's suggestion to reopen the debate. The Leader of the Opposition, Malcolm Turnbull, echoed Rudd's support of 26 January, but, along with Rudd, supported the right of Australians to raise the issue. In regard to State leaders, New South Wales Premier Nathan Rees stated that he was yet to hear a "compelling reason" to support change; and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh expressed her opposition to a change of date in spite of any controversy. In 2004, a Newspoll that asked if the date of Australia Day should be moved to one that is not associated with European settlement found 79 per cent of respondents favoured no change, 15 per cent favoured change and 6 per cent were uncommitted.

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"DUMP IT! – Australia Day boss says date divides the nation". The Sunday Mail (Brisbane, Australia). p.1. ^ a b c Day, Mark (9 December 1999). "Time for a birthday with real meaning". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). p.11. ^ Stewart, Cameron (14 April 2001). "Anzac rethink enrages diggers". Weekend Australian (Sydney, Australia). p.1. ^ "Anzac Day merger idea gets shot down". Hobart Mercury (Hobart, Australia). 26 April 2001. p.1. ^ Jory, Rex (20 March 2007). "Anzac Day is when we become one". The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia). p.20. ^ a b "Day for all Australians". The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia). 26 January 2002. ^ Hudson, Fiona (10 May 2001). "Call to shift Australia Day". Hobart Mercury (Hobart, Australia). ^ a b Turner, Jeff (26 January 2000).

"Divided on our national day". The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia). p.19. ^ a b Hirst, John (26 January 2008). "Australia Day in question". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). Retrieved 26 December 2009. ^ a b Macgregor, Duncan; Leigh, Andrew; Madden, David; Tynan, Peter (29 November 2004). "Time to reclaim this legend as our driving force". The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia). p.15. ^ "Our day 'parochial'". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). 6 December 1999. p.15. ^ Fewtrell, Terry (1 September 2006). "Spring is in the air – what a golden day for the wattles". The Canberra Times (Canberra, Australia). Retrieved 28 December 2009.[dead link] ^ Stephens, Tony (27 January 2009). "Seeking a day to call our own". The Age (Melbourne, Australia). p.5. ^ "Australia Day: Question of Date".

The Sydney Morning Herald (Sydney, Australia). 14 June 1915. Retrieved 28 December 2009. ^ "Australia Day: A Wonderful Celebration". The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia). 27 July 1918. Retrieved 17 October 2010. ^ "How we celebrated". Hornsby Advocate (Sydney, Australia). 31 January 2008. p.22. ^ "You are Never Alone " Should July9 be Australia Day?". education.au. Archived from the original on 16 January 2009. Retrieved 20 December 2008. ^ Rodda, Rachel (27 January 2001). "Nation's birthday debate rekindled". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, Australia). p.7. ^ "Newspoll" (PDF). Retrieved 15 October 2010. ^ "?". Herald Sun.

Retrieved 15 October 2010.[dead link] Australia Day All Countries â¢ All Holidays â¢ Major Religions â¢ Multi-Cultural Australia Day Australia Day: January 26 Australia Day is of course celebrated by Australia. Australia day is also known as the foundation day or the anniversary day. It is the official national day of the Australian country. It is celebrated every year on the twenty sixth of January. This day commemorates the coming of the first fleet at the Sydney cove in the year 1788 when the unfurling of the British flag takes place here and also the there is a proclamation of the British sovereignty over a eastern seaboard of the country of Australia. In every territory and the state of Australia the Australian day is celebrated as an official holiday for the public. It is also marked by an order of the country of Australia and the Australian of the yearsâ awards with the address from prime minister. Australia Day History Records of this celebration of the Australia day go back to the year 1808 along with the governor once the official celebration of this formation of the New South Wales in the year 1818. This day is seen as a controversial day by many historians.

Alongside the proposals to change this Australian day date they have also been some significant protests that are seen from the indigenous Australian community. Many of these indigenous Australians do see this Australia day as a day that is celebrated for what has been destroyed of the indigenous culture by the colonialism by the British. Since the year 1988 the invasion day protests are being held in supporting the view. Due to all this there have been concerns and also some proposals to have the date changed of this Australian day to another day. On the thirteenth of May in the year 1787 a fleet of about eleven ships came and they were known to be the first fleet. These were sent by the British admiralty to Australia from England. Under Captain Arthur Phillip a fleet was sought to establish this penal colony at the Botany Bay on the New South Wales coast. This was already explored by Captain James cook much earlier in the year 1770. This settlement was quite necessary as there was a loss of the colonies in the northern part of America. This fleet then arrived between the eighteenth and the twentieth of January in the year 1788. This was not suitable and hence he moved forward and went on to Port Jackson.

This was the finest harbor according to him in the whole world. The site that was first decided was a place that had some level land and also a stream with portable water. The British flag was then raised there. There were officers and a few marines who attended this ceremony. By the afternoon of the twenty sixth the remaining fleets had come off from Botany Bay and were then anchored near the Sydney cove. In Brisbane this day is celebrated to be the foundation day or the first landing as the colony had been surviving for twenty years in spite of the hardships that they faced initially and also the starvation and the deprivation that had been suffered by those who were the settlers of the first fleet. The celebrations begin here on the twenty fifth of January each year as the sun goes down and then goes on into the night. The chief toast here goes to the major George Johnston. He was the first officer who came on to the shore from the first fleet. Even through his ill effects back home he made sure that he led the officers of New South Wales corps and arrested the governor William Bligh the following day. This was now called the rum rebellion.

On the twenty sixth of January in the year 1818 which was the thirtieth anniversary, the governor Lachlan Macquarie held a thirty gun salute at the Dawes point and then gave a holiday to the workers of the government. This tradition was soon followed by other public offices as well as the banks. In the year 1888 all the colonial capitals except Adelaide were celebrating the anniversary day. South Australia adopted Australia day in the year 1910. This was soon followed upon by Victoria in the year 1931. All the states in Australia are now celebrating this day since the year 1935. Australia Day Traditions and Activities As the hundred and fiftieth anniversary this day was celebrated for a whole long week through out Australia other than New South Wales. The anniversary was held on the twenty sixth of January which is the actual anniversary day of the Australia day.

Australia Day is also known as: Foundation Day Australia Day - First Fleet Fellowship Victoria Inc First Fleet Fellowship Victoria Inc Descendants of those who arrived with the First Fleet in 1788 with Captain Arthur Phillip You are here: Home / Events / Australia Day Australia Day The First Fleet Captain Arthur Phillip 1786 portrait by Francis Wheatley (Wikipedia) Under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip the First Fleet set sail from England on 13 May1787. It comprised HMS Sirius, HMS Supply, six transports and three supply ships. Captain Phillip, in HMS Supply arrived first at the original destination, Botany Bay on 18 January 1788. The rest of the fleet arrived over the next two days. By the time the other vessels of the fleet arrived, Phillip had decided that Botany Bay was unsuitable. He set off with a party to investigate Port Jackson nine miles to the North. Some four miles up the harbour, on the south shore, a cove was found with good run of fresh water and excellent anchorage. Phillip ordered the whole fleet to transfer to the next site, which he named Sydney after the Home Secretary.

The Birth of Our Nation 26 January 1788, AUSTRALIA DAY On the morning of 26th January a site was cleared and a Flagstaff erected. Phillip and his Officers came ashore in the afternoon and to the accompaniment of toasts, the customary volleys of musket fire and three rousing cheers from the whole company, the Union Jack was hoisted. The Founding of Australia The Promise I do not doubt that this country will prove the most valuable acquisition Great Britain ever made. We have come today to take possession of this fifth great continental division of the earth on behalf of the British people and have founded here a state which we hope will not only occupy and rule this great country, but will become the beneficial patron of all the nations of the Southern Hemisphere. How grand is the prospect which lies before this youthful nation. Governor Arthur Phillip 1788 History of Australia Day Australia colonised 1788 : Flag flown today Australia Day, January 26th, was observed in New South Wales as far back as 1791. From 1838, January 26th was proclaimed a Public Holiday.

In 1888 Centenary Celebrations were held, and the Governors of every colony in Australia attended. Various States, however, were celebrating their own days in different ways. In 1934 an agreement was reached between the Commonwealth and States that the following Monday be proclaimed a public holiday. Today, January 26th is Australia Day in every part of this vast Continent. Printed from the Australian Day Council (Victoria) brochure Australia First Day Cover – Australia Day 1979 (C Timbury collection) Saturday 26 January 1788 Comments from three different people that were there, but none of them mention in these extracts from their diaries what the weather was like. Was it hot and humid? Was it over 100°F as Melbourne weather has been on numerous occasions, and will be again in the future? ‘A flagstaff as erected in Sydney Cove and possession as taken for His Majesty. In the evening the whole of the party that came round in the Supply were assembled at the point where they had landed and a Union Jack displayed.

I and my officers drank the health of His Majesty and success to the new colony.’ Captain Arthur Phillip ‘The two Ship that Wee Seen of this Bay on Thursday 24th JanY, Came In this Day which proved to be French Ships on Discovereys. At, AM The fleet Got on their Way. Came to an Ankor at half past 6o’clock In Port Jackson Close to the New town Which Was Crisned this Day & Volies Of Small Arms. Fired.’ James SCOTT, Sergeant of Marines ‘Our passage to Port Jackson took up but few hours and those were spent far from unpleasantly. The evening was bright and the prospect before us such as might justify sanguine expectation. Having passed between the capes which form it’s entrance, we found ourselves a port superior in extent and excellency to all we had seen before.

We continued to run up the harbour about four miles in a westerly direction, enjoying the luxuriant prospect of its shores covered with trees to the waters edge, among which many of the Indians were frequently seen, until we arrived at a small snug cover on the southern side, on whose banks the plant of our operations was destined to commence.’ Watkin TENCH, Captain Lieutenant of Marines Comments from three different people that were there, but none of them mention in these extracts from their diaries what the weather was like. Was it hot and humid? Was it over 100°F as Melbourne weather has been on numerous occasions, and will be again in the future? How Fellowship members celebrate Australia Day Our presence in the Melbourne Australia Day functions drew numerous crowds. Some returned each year, particularly those born on 26th January, Australia Day. Australia Day Tent, Kings Domain Gardens, 2008 Uniform belongs to Phillip Lock (Daniel Stanfield, Alice Harmsworth, Edward Kimberley) AUSTRALIA DAYS GONE PAST On 25 May 1984 a meeting was held at the offices of The Royal Historical Society 459 Collins Street Melbourne.

The meeting was convened by Jonathan King with the purpose of initiating the formation of an Association of First Fleeters in Victoria. Jonathan introduced himself, Elizabeth Larking, who had placed notices of the meeting in the press, and Hal Warren who had made his offices available for the meeting. The names and addresses of those present, together with their First Fleet ancestors, were recorded in a register. It was stated that the purpose of the Association was to bring together those people with the common interest of early Australian descendancy. The personal interchange of knowledge of family histories and availability of books on ancestry will facilitate member’s research in this respect. The aim of the Association is to organise functions to celebrate dates of historical importance, such as bi-centennial anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet and the 150th birthday of Victoria as well as annual Australia Day celebrations. The following article was published in the inaugural issue of the Folio. It was also the time when out came the sewing machines and the swapping of patterns to make a costume for all these historical days and events, and how they have been worn of the years. You might even be surprise to known that even today some of us can still fit it into our costume.

Subsequent Fellowship meetings were held at the Polly Woodside Maritime Museum until it was closed for re-development. Seeking a new meeting venue the Committee looked no further than over the Yarra River to the Mission of Seafarers. In 1991 The First Fleet Fellowship became an incorporated society. This was achieved through the hard work of the then committee. Australia Day March down Swanston Street Melbourne (H Timbury) The Fellowship has celebrated Australia Day in a variety of ways: there have been dinners aboard the Alma Doepel, and the Polly Woodside, a re-enactment voyage performed in the Alexandra Gardens with the Display Tent open to the public, and being rowed up the Yarra for a re-enactment landing. Who can forget the play we put on in the Star Gardens, what a fun day it was with the crowd cheering us on. We have featured at the head of Australia Day parades; had huge photos of members up on the wall in Federation Square that also featured in the publication All of Us. Then there was the never be forgotten trips to Sydney for the Bicentenary in 1988, Hobart the following year and to Norfolk Island for Founders Day in March.

Australia Media Launch Polly Woodside Maritime Museum 23 January 1991 (H Timbury) How many years a member towed the trailer to Melbourne with display material to put on show to the public and for members to sell numerous charts and the hand-held Australian flag; even better, it was Australian made. We have stood in Swanston Street in days of over 40 degrees, been blown up Lt Collins Street in the north wind. Had numerous photos taken with overseas visitors, held visitors in the stocks and on the whipping frame for them to taste a piece of what our convict forebears had to endure as their corporal punishment. In the latter years we were in the Kings Domain Gardens, situated in an events white tent along with other groups we come to know over the years. Some of us were able to speak briefly over the radio hoping to get the message out to the wider community about Australia Day. As a member once wrote, we are an eye-catching mob in convict garb and manacles, I often wonder what happened to that old hag with hair like Jex, bloodied and bruised from a recent fight.

From marching up and down Collins Street into Swanston Street, been present at flag raisings at Parliament House, outside the Arts Centre and the Town Hall, from standing in and around the display tent, selling flags and talking to the public about our special day, we are now celebrating Australia Day here at the Mission. Australia Days have been a great success providing members with fun, fellowship and the chance to add colour by being in costume. We are undoubtedly faring much better than our forebears were able to do on that day in Sydney Cove 225 years ago. FIRST CHURCH SERVICE The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday 29 January 1912 Commemorative Church Service: On Sunday January 27, 1788 under the shade of a large tree growing at a spot now known as Macquarie-place, near the Circular Quay, the first Christian service on Australian soil was conducted by the Reverend Richard Johnson, chaplain to the fleet. Exact spot is supposed to be the corner of Bridge and Loftus streets, and a commemoration service was yesterday held as near as possible. There was a large gathering.

The British and Australian flags floated above the heads of the assembled congregation and close by was the pedestal upon which rested the anchor of the Sirius, the flag ship of the First Fleet. The Bible from which Cannon Bellingham yesterday read the lesson was the same copy used by the Reverend Richard Johnson at the first service which he held as that spot the day after the official landing. It is intended to mark the spot of the holding of the first service by the erection of a memorial cross. Spoken by Cheryl Timbury during the Commemorative Service in the Mission of Seafarers Chapel on 26 January 2013 being the 225th anniversary of the First Fleet arrival.

Australia Day at the Mission to Seafarers, Anne Gibson with Ken and Jan Trott (C Timbury) Australia Day 26 January 2014 at the Mission City Light Methodist Church in collaboration with First Fleet Fellowship of Victoria on the occasion of Australia Day 26 January 2014 (courtsey City Light Mission Church) © First Fleet Fellowship Victoria Inc 2014 European discovery and the colonisation of Australia | australia.gov.au European discovery and the colonisation of Australia European discovery and the colonisation of Australia European mariners Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), Captn. James Cook, F.R.S, 1784, print: stipple engraving. Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia. The first records of European mariners sailing into 'Australian' waters occurs around 1606, and includes their observations of the land known as Terra Australis Incognita (unknown southern land). The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken captained by Dutchman, Willem Janszoon.

Between 1606 and 1770, an estimated 54 European ships from a range of nations made contact. Many of these were merchant ships from the Dutch East Indies Company and included the ships of Abel Tasman. Tasman charted parts of the north, west and south coasts of Australia which was then known as New Holland. In 1770, Englishman Lieutenant James Cook charted the Australian east coast in his ship HM Barque Endeavour. Cook claimed the east coast under instruction from King George III of England on 22 August 1770 at Possession Island, naming eastern Australia 'New South Wales'. The coast of Australia, featuring Tasmania as a separate island, was mapped in detail by the English mariners and navigators Bass and Flinders, and the French mariner, Baudin. This period of European exploration is reflected in the names of landmarks such as the Torres Strait, Arnhem Land, Dampier Sound, Tasmania, the Furneaux Islands, Cape Frecinyet and La Perouse.

Expeditions between 1790 and the 1830s, led by D'Entrecasteaux, Baudin, and Furneaux, were recorded by the naturalists Labillardire and Pron. The First Fleet and a British colony John Allcot (1888-1973), The First Fleet in Sydney Cove, January 27, 1788, 1938, art reproduction. Image courtesy of the National Library of Australia. Captain Arthur Phillip and the First Fleet, comprising 11 ships and around 1,350 people, arrived at Botany Bay between 18 and 20 January 1788. However, this area was deemed to be unsuitable for settlement and they moved north to Port Jackson on 26 January 1788, landing at Camp Cove, known as 'cadi' to the Cadigal people. Governor Phillip carried instructions to establish the first British Colony in Australia. The First Fleet was under prepared for the task, and the soil around Sydney Cove was poor.

The young colony relied upon both the development of farms around Parramatta, 25 kilometres upstream to the west, and also trading food with local Aboriginal clans. The Second Fleet's arrival in 1790 provided badly needed food and supplies; however the newly arrived convicts were too ill, with many near to death, to be useful to the colony. The Second Fleet became known as the 'Death Fleet' - 278 of the convicts and crew died on the voyage to Australia, compared to only 48 on the First Fleet. The colony experienced many other difficulties, including the fact that there were many more men than women - around four men for every woman - which caused problems in the settlement for many years. Contacts and colonisation Augustus Earle, Bungaree, 1826, lithograph. Image courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales. In the winter of 1791, the process of British colonisation of Western Australia began when George Vancouver claimed the Albany region in the name of King George III. In the summer of 1801, Matthew Flinders was welcomed by Nyungar upon his arrival aboard the Investigator and various items were exchanged.

On the 1802 voyage from Sydney, Flinders recruited two Aboriginal people, Bungaree, who had sailed with him on the Norfolk, and Nanbaree. The visit of Flinders and other mariners to the coast of Arnhem Land is recorded in the paintings of 'praus' and European ships at rock art sites. Initially, relations between the explorers and the Aboriginal inhabitants were generally hospitable and based on understanding the terms of trading for food, water, axes, cloth and artefacts, a relationship encouraged by Governor Phillip. These relations became hostile as Aborigines realised that the land and resources upon which they depended and the order of their life were seriously disrupted by the on-going presence of the colonisers. Between 1790 and 1810, clans people of the Eora group in the Sydney area, led by Pemulwuy of the Bidjigal clan, undertook a campaign of resistance against the English colonisers in a series of attacks. In 1821 Bundle/Bundell sailed on board H.M. Brig Bathurst, under the command of Phillip Parker King, on a surveying voyage to the northern coast of Australia.

Bundle replaced, at short notice, Bungaree, who had sailed with Flinders. After surveying the northern and north-western coastline of Australia, Bundle accompanied King on his survey work of the western coast of Australia between 1821-22, travelling to Mauritius for repairs. Bundle, an Eora man who ranged from Port Jackson to Parramatta, in the company of Tedbury, the son of Pemulwuy, was renowned for his tracking skills. Bundle had accompanied the Surveyor George William Evans on board the Lady Nelson in the party sent to explore Jervis Bay in 1812 and, with another Aboriginal named 'Broughton', accompanied Charles Throsby on his exploratory expedition into the southern region in 1818. Law and land in New South Wales From 1788 until 1823, the Colony of New South Wales was a penal colony. This meant that there were mainly convicts, marines and the wives of the marines although free settlers started to arrive in 1793.

In 1823, the British government established a New South Wales parliament by setting up a Legislative Council as well as a Supreme Court under the New South Wales Act 1823 (UK) . This Act is now seen as a first step towards a 'responsible' Parliament in Australia. It was also intended to establish English law in the colony with the establishment of NSW criminal and civil courts. However, there were significant departures from English law when the first cases were heard in the courts. The first civil case heard in Australia, in July 1788, was brought by a convict couple. The convicts successfully sued the captain of the ship in which they had been transported for the loss of a parcel. In Britain, as convicts, they would have had no rights to bring this case forward. The question of land ownership by Indigenous people was not dealt with by the colonisers until the mid-1830s. In 1835, John Batman signed two 'treaties' with Kulin people to 'purchase' 600,000 acres of land between what is now Melbourne and the Bellarine Peninsula.

In response to these treaties and other arrangements between free settlers and Indigenous inhabitants, such as around Camden, the NSW Governor, Sir Richard Bourke issued a proclamation. Bourke's proclamation established the notion that the land belonged to no-one prior to the British crown taking possession. To effectively over-ride the legitimacy of the 'Batman treaty' the British Colonial Office felt the need to issue another Proclamation. The Colonial Office proclamation stated that people found in possession of land without the authority of the government would be considered trespassers. This was despite and because many other people, including a report to the House of Commons in 1837, recognised that Aboriginal occupants had rights in land. Nevertheless, the law in New South Wales variously applied the principles expressed in Bourke's proclamation. This would not change until the Australian High Court's decision in the Mabo Case in 1992. unknown, Pioneer Squatters, 1880-1890. A group of squatters, making tea in a billy over a camp fire in the bush with cattle in the background. Image courtesy of the John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. In 1861, the NSW government opened up the free selection of Crown land.

The Crown Lands Acts 1861 permitted any person to select up to 320 acres on the condition of paying a deposit and living on the land for three years. The Acts also limited the use of Crown lands by Aboriginal people as until this time, pastoral lands were still able to be legitimately used by them. As a result of Crown Land being available for selection, great conflicts between squatters and the selectors ensued. Scheming in selecting and acquiring land became widespread. The Acts had a powerful impact on the ownership of land. The Acts also affected the use of bush land across vast regions of the colony. In the view of some observers, these disputes over access to land also encouraged bushranging. Despite its problems, the colony of New South Wales grew, and the Port Jackson settlement is now the site of Australia's largest city - Sydney. Establishment of other British colonies Van Diemen's Land The first British settlement on the island was made at Risdon in 1803 when Lieutenant John Bowen landed with about 50 settlers, crew, soldiers and convicts. The site was abandoned and in 1804 Lieutenant David Collins established a settlement at Hobart in February 1804.

The colony of Van Diemen's Land was established in its own right in 1825 and officially became known as Tasmania in 1856. Western Australia Western Australia was established in 1827. Major Edmund Lockyer established a small British settlement at King Georges Sound (Albany) and in 1829 the new Swan River Colony was officially proclaimed. Captain James Stirling was its first Governor. The colony was proclaimed a British penal settlement in 1849 and the first convicts arrived in 1850. South Australia The British province of South Australia was established in 1836, and in 1842 it became a crown colony. South Australia was never a British convict colony, although a number of ex-convicts settled there from other colonies. Around 38,000 immigrants had arrived and settled in the area by 1850. Victoria The first attempt at settlement was made in 1803 by Lieutenant David Collins but the harsh conditions forced him to move on to Tasmania where he eventually settled Hobart in February 1804.

It was not until the Henty brothers landed in Portland Bay in 1834, and John Batman settled on the site of Melbourne, that the Port Phillip District was officially sanctioned (1837). The first immigrant ships arrived at Port Phillip in 1839. In 1851 Victoria (Port Phillip District) separated from New South Wales Queensland In 1824, the penal colony at Redcliffe was established by Lieutenant John Oxley. Known as the Moreton Bay Settlement, it later moved to the site now called Brisbane. Around 2,280 convicts were sent to the settlement between 1824 and 1839. The first free European settlers moved to the district in 1838 and others followed in 1840. In 1859 Queensland separated from New South Wales. Northern Territory In 1825 the area occupied today by the Northern Territory was part of the colony of New South Wales. It was first settled by Europeans in 1824 at Fort Dundas, Port Essington. In 1863 control of the area was given to South Australia.

Its capital city, Darwin, was established in 1869, and was originally known as Palmerston. On 1 January 1911, the Northern Territory was separated from South Australia and became part of the Commonwealth of Australia. Recognition of Australia The name 'Australia' was first suggested by Matthew Flinders and supported by Governor Macquarie (1810 - 1821). At a meeting in 1899, the Premiers of the other Colonies agreed to locate the new federal capital of Australia in New South Wales, and added this section to the Australian Constitution. In 1909, the state of New South Wales surrendered a portion of this territory to the Commonwealth of Australia, the site of present day Canberra. Australia Day Anniversary Bern Emmerichs, Who Are You?, 2003, earthenware with underglaze. Image courtesy of the National Gallery of Australia. While formal dinners and informal celebrations to mark the landing of the First Fleet at Camp Cove were held on 26 January each year, the first official celebration of English colonisation was held in 1818. During the colonial period, 26 January was called Foundation Day in New South Wales.

Other colonies celebrated with their own dates of significance relating to the founding of their colonies. Since 1901, when Australia became a federation of the six colonies, the landing of the First Fleet at Camp Cove has evolved from a small commemorative New South Wales holiday into a major national celebration, recognised as Australia Day. From 1994 all states and territories agreed to celebrate Australia Day on the actual day. For many Indigenous Australians however, 26 January is not a day of celebration but one of mourning and protest. On the morning of the 26 January for the 1938 sesquicentennial (150th) celebrations, Aboriginal activists met to hold a 'Day of Mourning' conference aimed at securing national citizenship and equal status for Aborigines. Citizenship rights for all Aborigines were recognised following a referendum on the issue in 1967. In an attempt to heal some of the pain of Australia's past, there is now an advanced Reconciliation movement. Useful links

Question: The anniversary that commemorates Captain Arthur Phillip founding the British Colony of Australia in 1788, is celebrated on which day every year?
Answer: 26 January