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Australia Day

Australia Day is Australia's official national day, January 26. It commemorates the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on that day in 1788.

History

January 26, 1788 was the date on which Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales.

By 1808 the day was being celebrated as 'First Landing' or 'Foundation Day'. In 1818 (the 30th anniversary) government workers were given a holiday - a tradition that was soon followed by banks and other public offices.

In 1888 all colonial capitals (with the exception of Adelaide) celebrated 'Anniversary Day' and by 1935 all states of Australia were celebrating January 26 as Australia Day (although it was still known as Anniversary Day in NSW).

The 1938 sesquicentenary (150th anniversary) of white settlement in New South Wales in 1936 was widely celebrated. Preparations began in 1936 with the formation of a Celebrations Council. In that year, NSW was the only state to abandon the traditional long weekend and the annual Anniversary Day public holiday was held on the actual anniversary day - Wednesday 26 January.

In 1946 the Commonwealth and State governments agreed to unify the celebrations on January 26 as 'Australia Day', although the public holiday was instead taken on the Monday closest to January 26.

Since 1994 all states and territories have taken the Australia Day public holiday on January 26.