Happy Australia Day Everyone

[Jarvo]

For all you aussie's out there, Happy Australia Day!

[savage]

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie!

Actually how many Aussies are there on these forums?

[TheLion]

Being Dutch, I have no idea what this holiday is for, however I guess it has something to do with the independence of Australia!

Still a party is a party!


[size=18px]HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY EVERYONE! [/size]

[Sly]

We're not independent. We're still part of the British "Empire". There is a growing movement to ditch the monarchy though.

A brief history of Australia Day.

First celebrations
On January 26, 1788 Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales and became its first Governor.

The fledging colony soon began to celebrate the anniversary of this date. Manning Clarke notes that in 1808 the "anniversary of the foundation of the colony" was observed in the traditional manner with "drinking and merriment".

The first official celebrations were held in 1818 to mark the 30th anniversary of white settlement. Governor Macquarie officiated at a thirty-gun salute during the day and a dinner ball at Government House that evening.

Foundation Day
During the early nineteenth century the anniversary was called 'Foundation Day' and was usually marked by sporting events. Horseracing was popular in the 1820s, whilst regattas became popular in the 1830s.

One of these, the Anniversary Regatta which was first held in 1836, is still held on Sydney Harbour on January 26 each year. Now called the Australia Day Regatta it is the oldest continuous regatta in the world.

A growing sense of patriotism was also being expressed in other ways. In 1824 Charles Tompson, reputed to be our first Australia-born poet, composed Wild Notes from the Lyre of a Native Minstrel.

Fifty years after Phillip landed Australia's first public holiday was announced to celebrate Foundation Day 1838. The inaugural holiday became an annual event and has continued to be held on or around January 26.

[Jarvo]

yeah, im an aussie, born in Tasmania, but now live in adelaide, in South Australia

[WILL]

Well happy Auzzie Day from Canada! The *other* colony that happened to get away (ok they let us go).

[TheLion]

We're not independent. We're still part of the British "Empire". There is a growing movement to ditch the monarchy though.

I didn't know that. I thought Australia was independent... Thanks for information, cool to know more about other countries!

[Chesso]

heheh im aussie born in sydney

Everybody else in the family above me is from england though. I completely forgot about australia day or atleast when it was.

[cragwolf]

We're not independent. We're still part of the British "Empire". There is a growing movement to ditch the monarchy though.

I afraid to say it is shrinking rather than growing. The country has grown more conservative in the past decade. We are still a very Anglophile country, something immigration hasn't changed much at all, because our largest immigrant groups are still Britain and New Zealand (another Anglo-Saxon country). Then there is the great difficulty in becoming a republic: not only do you require a majority of the population, but you also require a majority of the states, which makes it 4 out of 6 states. I can see Victoria and NSW going the Republican way (in fact, I'm less certain about NSW these days), but I can't see Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia or Western Australia cutting mother's apron strings, and you'd need two of those recalcitrant states changing their minds.

In a cynical mood, I once predicted that England would become a republic before Australia would. I don't know if it's a cynical prediction anymore.

[Sly]

As a country, are we dependent on England? No. We have essentially been independent for a long time. So it is just a matter of signing some piece of paper. Nothing changes except the Governor General loses his job.

The British royal family is just a farce these days. The perfect example is the upcoming Charles and Camilla wedding.