Australia Day - A Celebration Since 1788....
Source - www.australiaday.vic.gov.au
January 26, 2007

Australia Day celebrates the anniversary of Captain Arthur Phillip unfurling the British flag at Sydney Cove and proclaiming British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia on 26 January 1788. The quest for the celebration of a united Australian national day commenced within a few short years of the First Fleet landing and subsequent white settlement on this island continent.

Australia Day History - 1788-1888
(Picture - Captain Arthur Phillip becomes Governor of Colony)

January 26, through more than 200 years of debate and controversy, has remained the Australian celebratory national day since that date in January 1788 when 'formal possession was taken of the Colony of New South Wales. On that day, Captain Arthur Phillip became Governor of the Colony, having jurisdiction over the area bounded by latitude 10 37' to latitude 43 49' south and inland to longitude 135 east'... [Continued].

Australia Day History - 1888-1938
(Picture - Opening of Commonwealth Parliment - 1901)

In 1871 the Australian Natives Association (ANA) was formed in Victoria. This was the first Australian Friendly Society and its motto was Advance Australia. The group, which had particular influence in the period between the 1890s to around 1914, had strong nationalistic aspirations and its members included Edmund Barton (who became our first Prime Minister), Alfred Deakin (Australia's second Prime Minister) and Sir Isaac Isaacs (our first Australian-born Governor-General)... [Continued]

Australia Day History - 1938-1988
(Picture - Sir McFarlene Burnet - First Australian Of The Year)

Since its formation in 1871, the ANA Association had been working towards the unified naming and dating of our national day. Following their concerted efforts and with the support of similar movements, the Commonwealth Government and all States and Territories finally agreed, in 1946, to observe the same National Day - 26 January - and to call that day Australia Day

Separate Australian citizenship became law for the first time in 1949. The waves of non-British immigration after 1945 led to a new role for Australia Day, one that celebrated new citizenship with naturalisation ceremonies (now citizenship ceremonies)... [Continued]

Australia TODAY

Australia's national colours of green and gold are those of the Golden Wattle tree in flower. Since 1901 there have been ten public competitions for a new national flag and they have drawn over 60,000 entries. On Australia Day 2006, 90 Ambassadors traveled throughout rural and regional Victoria to 103 locations. Over 120 languages other than English are spoken in Victoria, and about half of the overseas born arriving since 1981 came from Asian countries. One Australian child is born every 2 minutes.

Since 1988 Australia Day celebrations across the country have continued to grow in number and stature. Ceremonies now appeal to a broad community audience and attendances have increased considerably over the last 5-10 years. 

While January 26 has remained our National Day from the time of Phillip's landing, discussion has taken place since the 1800s on the pros and cons of this particular date. Over the years, the reason cited for a possible change of date has been varied - historical, practical and most recently, the desire for reconciliation with our Indigenous population...[Continued]

Australia Day Pictures from the The Age Newspaper....

http://www.theage.com.au/ftimages/2007/01/26/1169594484126.html