Recent migrants topped the list of those most likely to partake in celebrations of Australia Day, according to the most recent results from a poll by the National Australia Day Council that examined Australians’ participation of the day. Eight in 10 Australians who have lived in Australia for 20 years or less participate in Australia Day compared with two thirds of the total population.
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Ben Roberts-Smith VC MG, Chairman of the National Australia Day Council, said that Australia Day is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate building a new life in an adopted home for many new migrants.
“The things we typically reflect on Australia Day – the land, that sense of a fair go, freedom and democracy – they’re things we can all appreciate about Australia, no matter where our stories began,” Roberts-Smith said.
In 2017, about 16,000 people will become Australian citizens in hundreds of ceremonies across the country on Thursday, January 26.
In Sydney, Yabun (meaning ‘music to a beat’ in Gadigal language) will celebrate its seventeenth consecutive year, with a free festival featuring live music, community forums on Aboriginal issues, and traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural performances.
Roberts-Smith said Australia Day was an opportunity to come together and acknowledge our nation’s past, celebrate the present, and unite and move forward together as a nation.
“Our national celebrations should reflect our diversity, and the many unique things that make Australia what it is,” he said.
He also recognised that for some, 26 January is a day of mourning – a day to mark the survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ongoing cultures.
“It is important that these views are respected and that collectively, we look to have constructive dialogue about our history.”
However Australians choose to celebrate this Australia Day, Roberts-Smith encouraged people to participate in a way that is respectful and inclusive.
“For most Aussies, our national day means more than just having a day off.
“We encourage all Australians to celebrate in their own way on 26 January and to share their celebrations on social media using #AustraliaDay,” Roberts-Smith said.
For more information about Australia Day events and how to get involved, visit www.australiaday.org.au or contact the Australia Day Committee in your state or territory.
This Australia Day, around 700 events and activities will take place across the nation, including a range of Indigenous, multicultural and community events. A snapshot of events is attached. For a full event listing, visit www.australiaday.org.au.
