Today  Yuto and Elias have made an oral presentation on Australia day which is  on the 26th of January. Nice chocolate cakes  too !

General information

Before learning more about it , you should first know a bit more about Australia, so read the page here : http://panique.com.au/trishansoz/index1.html   

You should also know about the flag which is also called the Commonwealth Blue Ensign. It has three main design elements on a deep blue background:

  • The British Union Jack flag is in the upper left corner - noting Australia's ties to Great Britain
  • The Southern cross  constellation (5 stars) is on the right side of the flag - the Southern Cross is a major navigational constellation in the Southern Hemisphere
  • The large, white, seven-pointed Commonwealth Star (also called the Star of Federation) - it is symbolic of the original states of Australia.

Australia Day : History   The colonization  of Australia by the English :

    In 1770 an expedition from England lead by Captain James Cook sailed to the south pacific. They were supposed to make astronomical observations. But Captain Cook also had secret orders from the British Admiralty to find the southern continent.

They landed in a bay on the east coast on the 29th of April 1770. Cook first called this place Stingray Bay, then he changed it to Botanist Bay and finally called it Botany Bay because of all the strange and unusual plants there.

He called this new land New Wales and then changed it to New South Wales. He claimed the land for England (even though the land already belonged to the Aborigines).

 A penal colony : They decided to establish a penal colony by bringing convicts ( bagnards).The  first fleet arrived in Botany Bay but the landing party was not impressed with the site, and moved the fleet to Port Jackson and settled in Sydney Cove on January, 26th 1788.751 convicts and their children disembarked, along with 252 marines and their families.

The vast majority of the convicts to Australia were English and Welsh (70%), Irish (24%) or Scottish (5%),Most of the convicts were thieves who had been convicted in the great cities of England. Only those sentenced in Ireland were likely to have been convicted of rural crimes.

 

Two more convict fleets arrived in 1790 and 1791, and the first free settlers arrived in 1793. From 1788 to 1823, the Colony of New South Wales was officially a penal colony comprised mainly of convicts, soldiers and the wives of soldiers.

è So  Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788.

 

How is it celebrated

Outdoor concerts, community barbecues, sports competitions, festivals and fireworks are some of the many events presented in communities across Australia.

The Order of Australia awards are also a feature of the day. The Governor-General and Prime Minister both address to the nation. On the eve of Australia Day each year, the Prime Minister announces the winner of the Australian of the Year award, presented to an Australian citizen who has shown a "significant contribution to the Australian community and nation", and is an "inspirational role model for the Australian community".

One of the highlights of the day is the regatta : to be viewed here : http://australiadayregatta.com.au/