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Why Australia Day is really held on 26 January
The First Fleet arrives at Sydney Cove. The British would later found the penal colony and first European settlement in Australia. Credit: State Library of Victoria
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Australia Day, celebrated annually on 26 January, has been a national public holiday since 1994. While some Australians enjoy barbecues and citizenship ceremonies, others — particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities — view it as a day of mourning, referred to as Invasion Day or Survival Day. This reflects ongoing debates about the date's significance, given its historical associations with British colonisation.
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