HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

It was on 26 Jan 1788 that the english Captain Arthur Phillip, arrived in Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour) with the First Fleet of convicts and marines to start a new colony. Arthur Phillip erected the British Union Flag  and became the first governor of New South Wales. We celebrate Australia Day every year on 26 Jan. It is our birthday. However, some aboriginal members of our society are not happy celebrating on this day. They call it the day of mourning because it is the day they lost their land. They would like to change the date or abolish it altogether. Some of them protest march on the day. Others are happy to keep the day and celebrate all different people living together in our wonderful country.

We celebrated in our village with a few typical Australian activities. We had a barbecue, a thong (flip flop) throwing competition, an Australian song sing-a-long and lamingtons to eat. (Chocolate coated pieces of sponge rolled in coconut.)

Australian Song sing-a-long with the village singers and musos.

In Australia we call these thongs not to be confused with string, backed undies.

Thong throwing competition. We had to get the thong into a bucket.

Aussie comfort food, lamingtons.

We were asked to dress up in Aussie gear for the day. Bill found some friends with the same kind of weird glasses.

After the fun and games some stayed behind for more singing together fun.

That evening we were invited to go to our friends appartment in town for dinner and to watch the fireworks. 

Kathy and Rob  have a great view from their balcony.

We walked to the cliffs at Kangaroo Point to watch the fireworks at South Bank.

Part of Brisbane from the cliffs at Kangaroo Point.

We had a fun filled Australia Day and a hot one. 

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

Queensland

New South Wales

Victoria

Tasmania  (borrowed from the web)

South Australia

Western Australia

Northern Territory

HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY

On this day, 26 January in 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip planted the Union Flag in Sydney Cove and started the first European settlement in Australia.

 Today our national flag has the Union Jack in the corner to show that we belong to the British Commonwealth of Nations. Underneath the Union Jack is a seven pointed star. One point for each of the six states and one point for the Australian Territories. On the right hand side is the star formation called the Southern Cross.

There are 26 Aussie shots on this page for the 26 January (25 below and 1 above). 

1. Frangipani Beach at the northern tip of Australia.
2. Story Bridge Brisbane, QLD
3. Lamington National Park QLD
4. Lake Eyre, SA
5. Royal Hotel, Country NSW
6. Uluru, NT
7. Brisbane City, QLD
8. Koala, Daisy Hill, QLD
9. Sydney Harbour Bridge, NSW
10. Milaa Milaa waterfall, FNQ
11. Wave Rock, WA
12. Sydney Opera House, NSW
13. Cooktown sunset, FNQ
14. Torres Strait, Thursday Island, QLD
15. Wallaby, Daisy Hill, QLD
16. Water Dragon, Roma St. Gardens, Brisbane, QLD
17. Gold Coast, QLD
18. Cobold Gorge, FNQ
19. Lamington National Park, Qld
20. Cape Tribulation, FNQ
21. Wildflowers, WA
22. Merimbula Beach, NSW
23. Kookaburra, Daisy Hill, QLD
24. Wattle, Australia's national flower, WA
25. Coloured beach huts, Mt Martha, Vic.

HOW WE CELEBRATE

 How we celebrate Australia Day.  All over the country in cities and towns people celebrate in many, many different ways ranging from Flag Ceremonies to cockroach races. There are multi cultural and multi religious festivals, there are citizenship and honours ceremonies, there are concerts and fireworks, there are pig races, and dunny can (outback toilet) races and the list goes on and on. We usually have thong (rubber sandal not undies) throwing competitions but this year due to the floods we had gumboot throwing competitions. Many people have house parties too.The saddest part was that in the towns where lives had been lost in the floods, they had memorial services.

concerts

 flag ceremony

Most families have a traditional Aussie BBQ of steak sausages and prawns either at home, at a festival, on the beach or in the park.

The BBQ is followed by traditional Aussie dessert, Lamingtons and...

..Pavlova.

We didn't fancy joining the crowded roads to the crowded beaches or festivals or parks so we had our own little celebration at home in the cool air conditioning. It was a scorching hot day but with blue skies and sunshine, no rain in sight, which was wonderful. 

We have our Aussie hats on and had kangaroo sausage with salad and rockmelon (cantaloupe) instead of fattening Lamingtons and Pavlova. I even had the all Aussie spread, Vegemite, which only real Australians can manage to enjoy. Overseas people can't stand it and even Bill can't get to like it. We washed it down with a fruity Aussie Shiraz - Annie's Lane from Clare Valley, SA.

Besides all the festivities we also have  many important sports fixtures on this day too. The Australian Open Tennis, England v Aust Cricket, and my favourite sport Soccer Football.  My local heros, the Brisbane Roar played Wellington (NZ) and won 2-0 but best of all our national team, the Socceroos beat Uzbekistan 6-0 in the semi-finals of the Asian Cup, now they are in the finals against Japan. I had a great day watching these two matches.