DLTK's Crafts for Kids
History of Australia Day

[Note:  Please note that I am Canadian and have gleaned this information second hand.  I've had lots of great contributions for viewers -- thanks guys!!]

Australians have a national holiday every January 26th to remember their origins and celebrate their achievements.

ORIGINS:

On January 26, 1788, a fleet of ships landed at what is now Sydney, Australia.  These ships were under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip and  had brought a load of prisoners from England.  The prisoners on the ships were not all criminals as we would think of them today.  Many of them were people who had been arrested because the government didn't like what they had to say.  And some were poor people who had been jailed because they owed money.  (More clarification...Thanks Nate!)

These prisoners were the first Europeans to settle in Australia.

Before 1783 (when the Americans won the Revolutionary War) many of Britain's unwanted criminals had been sent to the United States.

The desire to get rid of criminals was not the only motivation for colonizing Australia.  Botany Bay, Australia made a good port of call for British ships travelling in that part of the world.  Also, Australia's raw materials were an attractive reason for colonizing the country.

TODAY:

Since that time, millions more have chosen Australia as their home.  And wherever they are from, they all take part in celebrating Australia Day.

During the last weekend in January, Australians enjoy folk dances and music of the many national groups that make up their land.  These musicians and dancers appear in the oldest part of Sydney (called The Rocks) near the harbor where the first Europeans landed.

Captain Arthur Phillip's landing in the harbor is reenacted each year.

Here is some additional info sent in by a variety of viewers.  We found it really interesting to read a bit about what "real" Australians did on this day.

Thanks everyone!!

Hi, Jenny here from Tasmania, I just checked your Australia Day page and it is great of you to include it.  We spent our day at the local Australia Day Rodeo and it poured with rain literally bucketed down.  As we are on a farm and needed a rain break from the Summer heat and dryness it was very nice.

Just thought I would let you know that 2001 is the Centenary of Australia's Federation. 100 years ago our forefathers made our constitution and we became a country of the Commonwealth not a colony of Britain.  Australia Day is becoming more a day of celebration as time passes but it currently has a mixed response as Australia gradually recognizes that those of British decent weren't the first Australians.  The Aborigines see Australia Day as a sad day of invasion.  I think with the passing of time a new day may evolve which is more amicable to all.

G'day Mate,

Well, what a beaut site you have here it's a real bonza! Pop over and throw a few snags & chops on the barbie, knock a few coldies down, bring the softies for the ankle bitters, blonk your butt and have a natter, it will be a ripper of a day....

You li'le beauty...
See ya mate

Translation:

Hello, Leanne,
Well you have a really great site and it's terrific. Come on over and through a few sausages and lamb chops on the BBQ, have a few cold beers, wine or alcohol, bring the pop for the children, sit down and have a great chat....it will be the best of days,

A terrific friend,
Angie

The Aussie Day BBQ is a great thing and a very old tradition here.  The main focus is a breakfast.  We all get up very early and either have our own family get together breckie or lots of communities have a central one that can be attended like at a local park, Footy oval etc.  At central ones where most of the community attend there are usually bands playing and every body receives a native Australian Shrub (baby tree) to keep and plant to help regenerate the Community.
 
Do you have much info on Aussie Slang ?  We seem to have our own language within a language here.  Some visitors from other countries really have no idea what we are talking about sometimes and because it is normal speech for us we tend to forget it must sound completely silly to someone else.  I think one of the more well known terms is G'day which means hello, No Worries-it'll be right, no problem, there is so many really that you don't really see them as slang because we grow up knowing what it means.
 
There is also Vegimite a spread for toast very popular and eaten by most of the population it is one of our national symbols practically!
I hope to see this section grow it would be fantastic.
Lucinda

In our area for Australia Day there is a huge regatta held on the local landmark known to all as 'the lake'.  Local charities set up barbecues and many families bring along a picnic etc for the day.  Local groups from the wonderful "firies" build rafts from anything including empty cans and have races on the lake.

Else where in Australia (up in the Northern Territory) the locals don't usually have rivers to run these type of competitions on they make boats up and people run along carrying the boat in teams, the first team around the marker and back to the start win the Race.

At the Pre-School we make rafts from popsicle sticks and glue and paper sails and float them on our water trough, we occasionally make "power" boats from milk cartons (the cardboard type) and balloons to power the boats and race them through the troughs.  The older pre-schoolers enjoy decorating their boats making masts etc that are held in with a little plasticine and adding lego people to 'drive' their boats.

We have also used large boxes that the children decorate to run races the way Northern Territorians do.  The children usually end up in a huge giggling pile.

Megan

Australia Day is often celebrated with firework displays and flag waving.  Often there will be pageants about the first fleet landing acted out and parades.  I guess it is a day where patriotism runs riot, songs are sung and the nation draws together. Much like the US 4th of July. Crafts and activities of the day could include the making of damper, making a swagman's hat (simply tie corks around the brim of a floppy hat), make small Australian flags and attach them to sticks, act out the landing of the first fleet and of course sing all the Australian great songs.

Lisa

Did you know...
The capital of Australia is Canberra, not Sydney, as most people think. Canberra is located within the state of New South Wales (NSW) in its own territory called the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).  It's like Washington in Washington DC within Maryland.

Helen

Sport in Australia is huge...almost a religion.  Cricket, rugby and especially Aussie rules football are the most popular. Australian kids love to play these games and worship local sporting heroes, people like Don Bradman (cricket) and James Hird (footy).  Being from Victoria ( birthplace of AFL) I know more about AFL then rugby.  Rugby is played mainly in New South Wales and Queensland, Cricket is everywhere and AFL is popular in all states but is the only game in Victoria during footy season.  The 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney are also a big part of Australian sporting culture.

I don't know how much you know about AFL.  But I thought it might be useful to include in your page.  Good sites to look at would be:
www.afl.com.au (it has links to all the AFL / and information) and www.baggygreen.com.au, the Australian cricket website.

Jackie

I live in Perth, which is the capital of Western Australia.  Each year we have a huge fireworks exhibition set to music on the evening of the 26th. Thousands of people line the banks of the Swan River (this is the river that runs through Perth) from the early afternoon and wait for the fireworks in the early evening. Most people meet with groups of friends and have BBQ and play cricket while waiting for the show.  It is a really big event in Perth and one radio station actually counts down the days until the "Skyshow" before Christmas.

BBQ's are very big here at this time of year as the temperature is usually between 32-39 degrees C. T-shirts, thongs & shorts are the standard dress as is the hat and zinc cream on the nose.

Like many American families. Aussie kids grow up on a mixture of foods from different cultures. But the firm favourites are Vegemite (yeast based spread) and Milo (chocolate drinking powder which you add to milk) - some kids even eat Milo sandwiches.