Oyez, oyez - it's Australia Day!
Between 8 and 9 pm AEDST (Melbourne time), we'd love to see this thread and place humming with activity.
Many of us will of course have activities during the day (I'm about to head off for a picnic), but if you can pop in and enjoy this thread and any other thread here in the interim, it would be fantastic.
The meaning of Australia DayOn 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. It's the day for us to re-commit to making Australia an even better place for the future.
Australia Day, 26 January, is the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great Britain, and the raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove by its commander Captain Arthur Phillip, in 1788.
Though 26 January marks this specific event, today Australia Day celebrations reflect contemporary Australia: our diverse society and landscape, our remarkable achievements and our bright future. It also is an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history, and to consider how we can make Australia an even better place in future.
At its core, Australia Day is a day driven by communities, and the celebrations held in each town, suburb or city – unified by the celebration of what’s great about Australia and being Australian – are the foundation of its ongoing success.
We are a community here, so let us celebrate the aspects of Australia and our community that give us our appreciation and support for each other, for the wider community, for the world.
