#AustraliaDay is our national day – an occasion to honour our achievements and successes, an official holiday to remind us what it means to be Australian and to celebrate the reasons we love living in this country. But each year, January 26 means different things to different people. Australians come from a range of cultural backgrounds. The history of this land started long before the arrival of European settlement, so for our first Australians it marked that day in 1788 that forever changed Indigenous culture, customs and way of life. Today is a day when we should remember that it is our differences that actually unite us. It is our respect for each other and tolerance of our differences that makes our country stand out from the rest. Today is a day that will see towns and cities across the country unite their diverse communities and promote cultural and religious harmony. We acknowledge the role that migrants from throughout the globe have played in recent years to make our society so much richer. It is for these reasons that it’s a day that many will choose to become Australian citizens at naturalisation ceremonies around the nation. Today is also an opportunity to publicly acknowledge our best. Here in the Far North, we’re well known for our sense of community and for a willingness to freely give of our time to help others. Through Australia Day awards, it’s a chance to express our thanks and gratitude to those who contribute an enormous amount of time and effort to make our community a better place – everyday people who contribute in all areas of community and civic life. Congratulations to all Australia Day award winners. Nope, it’s not football, meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars that makes an Aussie. It’s that thing that you can’t see. It’s an attitude – a belief – that we can achieve anything if we work together. Happy Australia Day to all – and no matter what Australia Day means to you, I hope you enjoy it with family and friends.
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 06:01:37 +0000
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