"On Australia Day we come together as a nation to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. It's the day to reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our great nation."
January 26th is an official national holiday for Australia, celebrated much like our July 4th. It commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement (a penal colony) on the continent of Australia. In January 1788, the First Fleet arrived in Botany Bay and, deciding it was not a suitable location, moved further up to Port Jackson's Sydney Cove and raised the flag in the name of King George III. Sydney Harbour is where you will now find the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.
Admittedly, I'm no expert on the subject but I did run across one thing that I thought was interesting. Wikipedia stated that the British saw establishment of Australian settlements as "necessitated by the loss of colonies in North America". Of course there was a lot more to it than that but it's interesting nonetheless.
Unfortunately, many Aboriginals don't see Australia Day as warranting celebration. It has been dubbed "Invasion Day" and was recently declared Aboriginal Sovereignty Day - considered the day of British invasion.
We spent part of the day at a reception for a new Australian head honcho taking over where Jason works. It was a nice little event, although I was unable to concentrate on grown-up things. I remember meeting a few people, shaking a few hands and making a bit of small talk - but mostly I just chased the children around and tried to keep the girls pacified and quiet. Later, when I drove through the streets of town, I ran across (not over:)) lots of people draped in Australian flag clothing and, in some cases, the flag itself. They were a lively crew. It made me smile and wish for our July 4th celebrations!
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