Today, the 26th January is Australia Day.
The day we celebrate the landing of the First Fleet, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, bringing a human cargo of convicts, first at Botany Bay then moving to a much better place for a settlement at Port Jackson in 1788.
and look, here's actress and comedienne Miriam Margolyes who became an Aussie today too !
Up here in Queensland the weather quickly deteriorated as we await the arrival of a large tropical low which has whipped up huge dangerous seas, keeping families out of the water but hardy souls braved the windy conditions to spend the last days of the Summer holidays at the beach
So, how have we spent Australia Day?
We drove to Wynnum on Moreton Bay about an hour from home and Tony took these photos this morning.
The usually busy foreshore was almost deserted
The day we celebrate the landing of the First Fleet, led by Captain Arthur Phillip, bringing a human cargo of convicts, first at Botany Bay then moving to a much better place for a settlement at Port Jackson in 1788.
So the settlement of Australia by white Europeans began.
Of course the Aboriginal people like to call it "Invasion Day".
Today for the first time the Aboriginal flag is flying beside the Australian flag from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge not far from where that first settlement began.
In Sydney the weather looked good and everyone was in party mood enjoying themselves on Sydney Harbour.
All over the country Citizenship Ceremonies were taking place in City Halls and the same thing was taking place in Canberra led by the Prime Minister. and the Governor General ( both women at the moment )
Here they are posing with a group of proud new Aussies.
Up here in Queensland the weather quickly deteriorated as we await the arrival of a large tropical low which has whipped up huge dangerous seas, keeping families out of the water but hardy souls braved the windy conditions to spend the last days of the Summer holidays at the beach
So, how have we spent Australia Day?
We drove to Wynnum on Moreton Bay about an hour from home and Tony took these photos this morning.
The usually busy foreshore was almost deserted
and the usually calm bay looked angry as the waves lashed the sea wall.
The usually crowded picnic facilities were silent except for the sound of wind and rain
and the busy Port of Brisbane at the mouth of the Brisbane River was barely visible across the bay.
Let's hope all these boats are securely tied up so that they weather tonight's storm without any damage.
The BBQ we were going to tonight has been cancelled due to the weather .
The forecast for tonight is up to 300mls of rain!
Yes 300mls! That's 12 inches !
(A place near Gladstone had a metre of rain today - 36+ inches )
Due to some clever advertising it has become tradition to eat lamb for dinner on Australia Day
so it's Roast Lamb for tea !
Cheers.
We've battened down the hatches here. No BBQ's here. It was not a very pleasant day for anything other than to stay inside away from the wind and the rain and with the aircon on as it is sooo warm and humid.
ReplyDeleteWould that be New Zealand lamb?
ReplyDeleteFor three years back in the early 2000's I organised the Australia Day party on behalf of the Honorary Consul. I don't know what you think of your own national anthem but for most of us, it is pretty boring so on the last occasion, having played the Angolan national anthem in honour of all the high ranking guests (also pretty boring and hard to sing) we played Waltzing Matilda. We all sang our lungs out and nearly brought the roof down after which the Angolan Foreign Minister said he was moved to tears by the passion and pride with which the Australians sang their anthem. 'kin 'ell, how we ever got away with it. Mind you we were all smashed on Bundaberg at the time. I love Honorary Consuls; 'Rules? Rules? I don't need no stinking rulles!'
Hey, I very nearly beacame a Northern Territories Policeman but that's another story.
Hippo: Shock! Horror!! New Zealand lamb on AUSTRALIA Day ??? Definitely not! We only eat Australian lamb on Australia Day!
ReplyDeleteAussies all love our National Song Waltzing Matilda. You seem to get around a bit Hippo, where do you hark from?
Thank you. I have always wondered what Australia day was. I have learnt something new today.
ReplyDeleteJulie xxxxxxxx
Blessings on Australia day!
ReplyDeleteI was so happy to see Aboriginal flag is flying beside the Australian flag.
An interesting post and great photos. I can't say I knew what Australia Day was about until now so I enjoyed reading this.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous explanation of Australia Day. It's nice to see the Aboriginal flag up there next to the Australian flag on Sydney harbour bridge.
ReplyDeleteTake care with all that rain and wind around.
Anne xx
"We only eat Australian lamb on Australia Day!"
ReplyDeleteSo on any other day it is NZ lamb?
Just teasing.
I was born in Berlin, brought up in the Black Forest, went to a military school and then was commissioned into the British Army. Now I am in Angola on the west coast of Africa trying to build a restaurant/hotel.
Thank you for that intro to Australia Day, very interesting. How good to see those two flags together, how times change.
ReplyDeleteSincerely hoping that storm passes by without making too much of a nuisance of itself!
Kate
Happy Australia Day!!!!
ReplyDeleteI mentioned Australia Day in my post today, yes I did, but it was all the way down at the bottom.
ReplyDeleteThat sea looks very wild and dangerous. At ;east you had the place to yourselves. Love your plateful of food. Hope oyu had a really lovely day.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures in the blog is very nice.Thanks for another fantastic post. Keep up the rocking work
ReplyDeleteAustralia happening