Australia Day 26th February 2010
I wasn’t quite sure what this ‘Australia Day’ was all about. I never heard about it before arriving in Australia and close to the time. January 26th every year is the date. To me it seemed just a day to be patriotic for no particular reason. Being close to Sydney, I went into the city to check what it’s all about.It certainly seemed a festive time. The Australian flag on display everywhere, on buildings, cars, and people. Not just clothing but a lot of painted faces too.
Aussie girls celebrating the day
With the odd music show around, and pubs with long queues outside, I spent the day just wandering and trying to work out what exactly our friends down under were celebrating. There certainly was a few characters about on the day.
Australian family enjoying the day
Bubbles, Guitar and smiles
Aboriginals in attendance
Horn Blowing
King of cards
It realised later in the evening at the ceremony what Australia day is all about – It’s all about the people. Australia is a country of immigrants. On the day Australia’s newest citizens were on parade and explained how happy they were to move here and the new opportunities before them.
Indeed it is a country without predujice and with their own set of values the main one being ‘giving everyone a fair go’.
For this alone, I think every country should have their own ‘Australia Day’ It just makes the world a better place.
Traditional dancers
Someone's happy
Man with giant Flip flop
Muscle Man
Water Dragon symbols Australias connection with China
Despite me using a mystery machine to get around Australia. I would recommend a domestic flights Australia if you need to get to a city on time to see an event like this. Although Australia day is celebrated around Australia, I think Sydney is the best so would recommend going there for it.
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Loved Australia Day; the Australians are so patriotic and they properly go for it on ‘their’ day! I was surprised that all the people in Australia tshirts with all the facepaint were actually Australian-I thought it would just be for the tourists! Images of English people in England shirts only conjures images of football hooligans which is a shame!
Totally agree! And yet on St. Georges day, we generally do nothing. We can learn from the Australians (and the Irish).
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Great blog Rob, I totally agree. Australia Day is a great time to be in Australia as a visitor. It’s in the middle of summer and you stand a good chance of being invited to a BBQ, but it’s also really cool to see how a really inclusive society can work. It’s great that people can keep and be proud of their own culture at the same time as buying into being part of something new too.
Thanks! I believe I went to a BBQ after this event actually :-)
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