Video gallery
Australia Day Live Concert – relive the magic
It was the concert for the country which united, inspired and entertained the nation. An all-star line-up including William Barton, Casey Donovan, Shane Howard and Isaiah Firebrace made their mark on the Sydney Opera House forecourt as everything else around them was light up (literally) with spectacular fireworks.
Events
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Australia Day Live 2021 highlights
Relive all the best moments from Australia Day 2021
WugulOra Morning Ceremony
WugulOra, meaning ‘One Mob’, is a special moment on January 26 acknowledging our shared history and the traditional custodians of the land. Broadcast: ABC TV.
Launch of Australia Day 2021
There is no doubt Australia Day will look different this year. But, it’s still an important time for us to stop and reflect on the nation that we are and the nation that we want to be. Australia Day is greater than one event. It’s about connecting the deeper meaning of who we are as Australians.
Transcript of the 'Launch of Australia Day 2021' video
[Music]
[Yvonne Weldon, Chair of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council:]
Ladies and gentlemen. Sisters and brothers. As was said my name is Yvonne Weldon.
As was said, my name is Yvonne Weldon. I'm a Wiradjuri woman from Cowra here in New South Wales.
I would like to pay my respects to all elders past and present, to our First Nations and to
everyone that is here today.
We're meeting here on the edge of the traditional owners impressive waterways.
Welcome to Gadigal land. This always was always will be Aboriginal land.
[Music]
[Andrew Parker, Chariman of the Australia Day Council of New South Wales:]
Well good afternoon, everyone. My name is Andrew Parker and I am the Chairman
of Australia Day Council of New South Wales.
During these very challenging times Australians have demonstrated once again
how extraordinary resilient and our ability to cope and adapt.
[Stuart Ayes, Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney]
We have learnt so much about ourselves over the last 12 months.
The challenges that this nation has stood up to, the unity that we have demonstrated, and our resilience that we have showcased on the world stage has been the envy for many nations around the world.
We may not be able to gather in the large numbers that we would normally gather around
these wonderful foreshores of the Sydney Harbour, or here at Sydney Opera House, but we can gather in smaller numbers in our communities right across the state.
[Stacey Maloney, NSW Police, Acting Assistant Police Commissioner:]
If you're planning on coming to the city, please plan ahead early. Particularly if
you are taking public transport and remember that masks are required.
We'll be there to provide a safe and secure environment for all Australia Day events
across New South Wales.
Australia Day 2021 is a day to reflect respect and celebrate the Australian spirit.
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
Learn to sing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ in Eora
Learn a version of the Australian national anthem in Eora, the First Nations language of the Sydney area. Singalong with Clarence Slockee, TV presenter and proud Bundjalung man. Then go and learn more about the First Nations languages in your local area.
Transcript of the 'Learn to sing ‘Advance Australia Fair’ in Eora' video
Jingi Wala. G’day in Bundjalung. My name is Clarence Slockee and I’m a proud Bundjalung fella. Also a proud Australian. I’m here today to talk about the national anthem. First I want to pay my respects to the ancestors of all our First Nations people wherever you are right across this beautiful country. I’d also like to acknowledge the Gadigal - the central clan to what is now the Sydney region.Today we’re going to learn a version of the national anthem which is now known as the Sydney language. I’d also encourage you to go out and learn local First Nations languages in the area you live. But in the meantime, here’s a version specific to the Sydney region.So please sing along and learn what is a beautiful, beautiful version of the national anthem.
Learn how to pronounce the words and what they mean
Clarence Slockee, TV presenter and proud Bundjalung man, teaches us some of the beautiful interpretations and pronunciations of the national anthem, Advance Australia Fair, performed in Eora.
Transcript of the 'Learn how to pronounce the words and what they mean' video
Let’s start with the first line. Australians let us all rejoice.
In this instance, Australiagal ya’nga yabun.
In many Aboriginal languages, you’ll see ng written. It’s like a neyah sound.
So Ya’nga is do. Just do it.
Yabun - sing.
Australiagal - All Australians. All of us together. Let’s just sing.
Let’s be proud of who we are.
Let’s embrace our First Nations Culture.
Let’s just embrace who we are as a people.
Australiagal ya’nga yabun.
Too easy.
Now we probably won’t have time to go through each and every line or every word, but again that ng gives us the neyah sound. And a U is often a ooh like cool or hook.
So Ngurra is a camp. And garrigarrang or garrigarrang, is the sea. The ocean. And we are girt by sea, when girt is surrounded by the ocean. But it’s much easier to say Ngurra garrigarrang. A camp by the sea.
Now with a lot of songs, to translate them or to move them into a different language, we often have to find syllables, similar words but at least the syllables that will fit with the melody line. We go towards the end of the song, Garraburra ngayiri yabun.
Garraburra is to dance or to gather for ceremony.
Ngayiri.
Yabun - to sing.
The line is a falling cadence. Ga-rra-burra nga-yi-ri ya-bun. Very easy to break it down. It keeps falling. It’s so beautiful.
What it means to become an Aussie citizen
In the 16 years that Clover Moore has been the Lord Mayor of Sydney, she has made over 25,000 people Australian citizens in over 300 ceremonies.
Transcript of the 'What it means to become an Aussie citizen' video
[Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore:]
For over sixty six years, citizenship ceremonies across New South Wales have been welcoming new citizens into the Australian family.
In sixteen years I have been Lord Mayor. I have made over 25,000 people Australian citizens, in over three hundred ceremonies. And it is one of my favorite responsibilities because I get to celebrate the incredible diversity while acknowledging the shared values and freedoms that unite us all.
[David Corrochano:]
When Shaye and I met, she was teaching English and I was just showing her around Madrid.
We got along long super well and when she had to come back home to Australia, I knew I had to follow her.
[Shaye Corrochano:]
Yeah and I'm glad he did.
[David Corrochano:]
When I arrived into Australia, I got into surfing straight away.
It's a big passion of mine at the moment. It makes me feel relaxed and close to nature.
I work with international foods, importing and wholesaling products across cafeterias, restaurants and different independent shops. Australia, it's a very multicultural country.
So it is quite exciting to bring products from overseas, from different nationalities and different cultures and sold them to Australia. These days, Shaye and I are married and have a little boy. He's obviously part of the reason of why I wanted to be part of this country, and he was born here in Australia, and why getting my citizenship was so special. I remember the ceremony being such an emotional experience and it really made me feel part of this culture, in this country.
To me, one of the best things about Australia is how diverse it is. You are really far away from everything, but it makes you feel close at the same time because all the people that live here and the different cultures. And that's what I love the most.
[Clover Moore:]
Stories like this show us the incredible contribution migrants make to this country. Their customs, culture and stories add to the richness and diversity of 21st century Australia. I'm proud to welcome our most recent citizens to Australia, and I look forward to the wonderful future we can build together.
KARI kite painting
The KARI Foundation work from a platform that culture can really drive change. Youth engage in cultural programs such as art as a therapeutic way of storytelling while helping to create a sense of identity.
Transcript of the 'KARI kite painting' video
[Casey Ralph, CEO, KARI Foundation:]
KARI Foundation is an Aboriginal, not-for-profit organisation that services New South Wales and the broader Australian community.
We work from a platform that culture can really drive change.
Having our youth engage in cultural programs such as art is a real starting point in terms of creating a sense of identity.
It's a therapeutic way of storytelling, and it's a really nice platform and a transition to focus on wellbeing and having a sense of belonging.
[Peta-Joy Williams, Lead Artist, KARI Foundation:]
So the artwork that I've designed for this project is the creation ancestor. So it's drawing from the eel, which is the shape of the kite that we're painting.
But we've also incorporated the Rainbow Serpent, which is our creation ancestor.
So depending on where you come from, that might represent or be a different animal.
The symbols that we use are the written language of our ancestors and they've been carried down from generation to generation.
The design that the girls are actually doing behind me are the meeting places along the Parramatta River.
So the Parramatta River is where the traditional name for the eel takes its name, “Barramatta” and that river also is one of our dividers that splits up our clan groups within the nation of Eora.
Not a lot of people realise that some of the places that we paint as what looks like Aboriginal art might only belong to one certain area of Australia.
So fortunately, the girls behind me have been able to use some of those stories in that written language, using those symbols to create this piece.
[Casey Ralph, CEO, KARI Foundation:]
I think it's centrally important that Aboriginal organisations such as the KARI Foundation take the lead role in supporting the Australia Day celebrations because we're our First Nations people.
It's about recognition and laying a platform for respect and having the acknowledgment of our First Nations people is a step in the right direction towards laying a platform towards reconciliation.
Australia Day Regatta
Since 1837, the Australia Day Regatta has taken to Sydney Harbour to bring together the sailing community. The regatta has run every year, during both war and peace time, making it the oldest, longest running sailing regatta in the world.
Transcript of the 'Australia Day Regatta' video
[Matt Allen AM, President, Australia Day Regatta:]
Australia Day is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate what being Australian means to them. There is nothing quite like the spectacle and excitement of our famous harbour on Australia Day.
Sydney Harbour is at the heart of the Australia Day program, drawing large crowds at vantage points to enjoy the action-packed activities taking place on and above the water.
The water comes to life with vessels of all shapes and sizes, from kayaks to party boats, ferries to tall ships, performing jet skis, decorated boats and so much more.
Amidst all this maritime activity, a proud Australian nautical tradition takes place.
The Australia Day Regatta has been staged each year since 1837.
It is internationally recognised as the oldest, continuously conducted annual sailing regatta in the world.
[Sir James Hardy OBE, Past President, Australia Day Regatta:]
The Australia Day Regatta started in 1837. It was always called the Anniversary Regatta, and it was celebrating the foundation of the colony of New South Wales. The boats that participate range from 12 foot dinghies, 12 foot skiffs, up to 100 foot racing yachts.
The Australia Day Regatta is one of the symbols of our great nation.
The age range is from eight-year-old tackers up to whatever age you like to make and that's the beauty of the sport.
From its origins of just two yachts and a rowing showcase, today with over 600 boats participating, the Regatta is an event for all ages and abilities.
[Matt Allen AM, President, Australia Day Regatta:]
So there are sailing programs for all sorts of types of people. There's certainly lots of youth programs, but there's also ones for people who have never sailed before, and for people with disabilities.
Sailing is intertwined with the history of Australia.
Yacht Clubs throughout New South Wales support the Australia Day Regatta, by holding races, races with boats of all sorts of shapes and sizes to celebrate Australia Day.
And there's about 700 yachts through the extent of New South Wales who compete each and every year.
The Australia Day Regatta brings sailing to the wider community because people along the foreshores, around the lakes and the harbours of New South Wales can see boats out sailing.
It's a terrific spectacle to see those boats out in the harbour or wherever they might be with their sails up and their spinnakers up.
It really brings, I think, the whole community together to see the activity on the waterways.
[Matt Allen AM, President, Australia Day Regatta:]
For the sailors competing in the Australia Day Regatta gives them enormous sense of achievement and pride to go out and race with all your best friends and try to compete on some of the most amazing waterways you'll find anywhere in the world is a great way to celebrate Australia Day.
In recent years, the original Australia Day Regatta has been extended to waters throughout New South Wales.
There's one hundred and five thousand people who go sailing regularly throughout Australia, and all the yacht clubs are, you know, very keen to have people from all walks of life get involved.
The Australia Day Regatta tradition continues to host competitors from diverse backgrounds and all abilities, showing the future of Australian sailing is in good hands.
My Australia
“My Australia” is a bite-sized docuseries which takes a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA.
Didgeridoo fusion
Meet William Barton, one of Australia’s leading didgeridoo players and composers. He’s also one of this year’s Australia Day Live Creative Consultant’s and performers. William performs and composes his own unique style of “didgeridoo fusion”, where he takes the oldest culture in the world and blends it with Europe’s rich musical legacy. He has vastly expanded the horizons of the didgeridoo and the culture and landscape it represents. “The didgeridoo is just one element of the spiritual legacy of our people of Australia.” Part of the “My Australia” bite-sized docuseries - a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA. Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.
Passion for the arts
Meet Casey Donovan. You would have had to be living under a rock not to know this incredible talent who first graced our screens back in 2004, as the nation’s youngest ever winner of Australian idol. Almost two decades later, Casey Donovan is still a household name. Her passion for this industry has seen her learn and grow, to remain one of Australia’s most talented performers. She is an inspiration to all Australians to get out there and give it a go. Part of the “My Australia” bite-sized docuseries - a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA. Reflect. Respect. Celebrate. I'm not just producing food, I'm a steward of this landscape so i'm actually responsible to make sure that I hand this land onto my children and subsequent generations in a better state than when I found it.
Changing the film industry
Meet Genevieve, a filmmaker who is championing for more inclusion in her industry. To Genevieve, inclusion in the film industry isn’t just having a person with a disability play the role of someone with a disability. It’s having the opportunity to work in all areas like on set, in production offices and in post-production. She co-founded Bus Stop Films which advocates for #Inclusivefilmmaking and has given her students the opportunity to work on some incredible sets like Thor and Shang-Chi. Part of the “My Australia” bite-sized docuseries - a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA. Reflect. Respect. Celebrate. My portfolio before COVID was very much all the way from obesity and drug and alcohol, through to how to keep smoking rates as low as possible, organ donation, Aboriginal health. Being a Chief Health Officer in an era of responding to a major pandemic is a weighty responsibility but this is not a solo endeavor by inhumans. I've always been proud to be a public servant in health because I get to work with the most passionate and compassionate people. And each and every day they're driven by the desire to change the lives of people in a positive way.
Helping people in need
Meet Baz. He is the definition of a selfless human. After working a long busy week at his barber shop in Sydney’s Western Suburbs, Baz finds the time and energy to organise hair cuts for people in need. At first, a haircut might seem superficial. But the dignity and confidence it gives to someone might just bring them a step closer to rebuilding themselves. Baz has just finished building his caravan barbershop which he plans to drive around Sydney this year and be able to reach even more people. Part of the “My Australia” bite-sized docuseries - a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA. Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.
The sparkle of Australian drag
Meet Trevor Ashley, one of Australia’s most colourful performers. What Trevor brings to the industry is something quite unique, carving out his niche as a writer and performer of comedic musical theatre. He’ll make you laugh, he might make you cry, and he’ll always take you on a journey into the exciting world of cabaret and drag. Part of the “My Australia” bite-sized docuseries - a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA. Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.
BYO Cup Week
Meet the cafe owner who is taking a stand against single-use takeaway coffee cups, one coffee at a time. Sondra Beram from bRU Coffee inspired cafes in Bondi to join forces and together go 100% takeaway coffee cup-free for 10 days last December during “BYO Cup Week”. Sondra’s cafe saved over 1000 takeaway cups from going into land waste. Her passion for keeping the environment clean is infectious, and it makes us remember that coffee is best enjoyed slowly and in a mug. Part of the “My Australia” bite-sized docuseries - a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA. Reflect. Respect. Celebrate.
Smiles through sport
Meet Steve Dresler. The former Parramatta Eels player and now CEO of disability service provider - What Ability. When he was younger Steve’s dream was to become a professional rugby league player. He achieved that dream - but didn’t stop there. Now he’s combining his love for sport and his love for helping others. Through his service ‘What Ability’ star athletes are playing the role of support workers, bringing smiles to children with disabilities through sport. Part of the “My Australia” bite-sized docuseries - a diverse and inclusive look into modern Australia’s DNA. Reflect. Respect. Celebrate
Media Centre
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