Moving to Australia and Australia Day
When you move to Australia with IntlMOVE, you will be learning about all the cultures and customs that make the “land down under” unique!
You will have to learn about new places to shop, new places to eat and you will even have to learn Australian slang!
There are also new holidays that you will be celebrating when moving to Australia.
Instead of celebrating July 4th, you will now be celebrating Australia Day.
January 26 marks Australia Day, which is significant because in 1788 the First Fleet landed in Port Jackson.
In May of 1787 the First Fleet, which is the name given to 11 ships, sailed from Britain to establish a European colony in New South Wales.
The fleet landed on January 26, 1788 and raised the British flag to claim ownership of the land.
Captain Arthur Phillip led the fleet to New South Wales to start a new colony.
The area was explored in 1770 by Captain James Cook, who reccommended the settlement.
The development of the new colony was seen as imperative as Britain had lost some of its colonies in North America.
Captain Arthur Philip named the place of their settlement Sydney Cove.
The site was names after Thomas Townshend, 1st Viscount Sydney who was the Home Secretary.
Australia Day was originally called Foundation Day.
In 1818, the first official celebration of Australia Day took place although there were many unofficial celebrations that were recorded in previous years.
The 30th anniversary of the founding of the colony took place in 1818 and Governor Lachlan Macquarie was the first to officially acknowledge the day.
In 1818, the Governor declared that January 26 would be a holiday for government workers.
The workers also received and extra allowance for meat.
A 30-gun salute was ordered and has become a tradition over the years.
In 1837 the Australia Day regatta first took place at Sydney Harbour.
This has become an annual tradition that still takes place today.
In 1838, January 26 first became a national public holiday.
By 1935, all states in Australia started referring to Foundation Day as Australia Day.
When the British first landed in Australia, there was little thought put into the original inhabitants of Australia.
The Aborigines, the native Australians, experienced many hardships because of the British invasion.
Because of this, there are many people who want the date of Australia Day celebrations to change.
The Aborigines are not the only people who have suggested that Australia Day be changed to a different day.
However, there have not been any moves to change the date thus far.
When you move to Australia and you work in an office setting, you will most likely have this day off of work.
It is a public holiday in Australia.
Celebrations in Australia can be very similar to the celebrations of Independence Day in the United States.
Families have picnics, barbeques, parades and other events to mark the important historical date.
Outdoor concerts, fireworks and sports competitions are all organized events that are put on by communities.
Perth Skyworks is the largest event put on every year in Australia.
The Prime Minister addresses the nation and Australian of the Year awards are presented.
There are a large amount of citizenship ceremonies that also take place on January 26 in Australia.
When you move to Australia with IntlMOVE, you will enjoy celebrating along with other Australians and learning about the culture and history of the country.