2021 video gallery

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]

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Transcript of the 'Rugby League player Josh Mansour' video

I'm proud to be Australian because it's allowed me to achieve my dreams. 

I remember like it was yesterday. When I was a kid, honestly the cliche the minute I was put on my boots, it was like ingrained in my head I wanted to play the NRL.

I was very privileged to have the opportunity to play for Australia.

I think also the privilege to play for Lebanon. You know, I've got a Lebanese father, he was extremely proud when I put the the Lebanon jersey on, especially with my family.

And when I played for Australia they were just as proud.

Hazem El Masri really pioneered a way for a lot of young Lebanese boys, especially for myself.

There's definitely a lot of more Lebanese kids that are coming through the ranks.

I think it just shows like how much of a strong community and how much time there's actually out there for like Lebanese players.

This country has given me the best life possible. I think there's so much opportunity here, we're a sport for choice.

Like it's such a beautiful country, so many nationalities. Everyone just respects everyone's cultures, beliefs. 

And this country, like the life it's provided me, you know I'm extremely grateful for it.

Transcript of the 'Choosing regenerative farming over conventional farming' video

I'm proud to be Australian because, as an Australian farmer, I'm producing some of the cleanest most nutritiously dense food in the world.

Hi, I'm Charlie Arnott – a regenerative farmer from Boorowa in New South Wales.

Regenerative agriculture is about using a number of different practices and techniques to produce beautiful, clean, healthy, nutritious food and at the same time restore and enhance habitat and the ecology.

I felt a sense about 15 years ago that what I was doing wasn't congruent with my values. That's when I took out the use of chemicals.

We looked at the whole the farm holistically. We started using biodynamics.

I think it's really important that farmers consider regenerative practices because we have two major problems, global problems.

One is human health, and the second one is global environmental health and regenerative agricultural practices actually address both of those.

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. 

Transcript of the 'Dr Kerry Chant leading NSW’s COVID-19 response' video

I'm proud to be Australian because we have a strong healthcare system and a great community.

[Music]

My day starts early getting my head around what may have happened overnight.

So my first question in the morning is, "How many new cases? What's significance of those new cases?"

I think sleep's really, really important and I do get around six hours but I've got to admit that i've often got to unwind for, you know, a few hours in the late evening so that my mind's stopping racing when I do go to sleep.

I do get joy out of my puppy dog, who's called Molly, who's16 but she's very beautiful.

No, Molly doesn't know we're in a pandemic, although she did enjoy it when people were working from home because she's a human dog, and she does like that human interaction.

I have one of the great jobs in the world that allows me to touch on many varied aspects of health.

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.

Transcript of the 'Saving our seahorse' video

I'm proud to be Australian because I love the fact that I can make a difference to help protect our marine environment  and ensure it's there for future generations to come.

I saw my first seahorse in 1996 diving here in Nelson Bay and because of that I completely changed my degree to become a marine scientist.

What I discovered over the past decade is that they're declining because of their habitat loss.

We came up with the idea of putting in these things called sea horse hotels and these are artificial habitats that are purposely designed for the seahorses to live in which will hopefully lead to successful reproduction.

So one of the most exciting things about the seahorse hotels initiative is that it's actually been adopted around the world.

So this little idea that we came up with Nelson Bay in Australia is now being used in the UK, it's been used in Portugal, the US, Philippines, indonesia.

So whilst the research I do is all about saving a White's sea horse, it's actually much bigger than that.

If we can save the marine habitats that the seahorses rely on, it's going to benefit all the other marine species.

Transcript of the 'The future of Australian tourism' video

I'm proud to be Australian because when the going gets tough we all come together.

I'm Simon Mercier and I'm the owner of Mercier's Gelato and Coffee in Huskisson, Jervis Bay.

The business started when I came down to Huskisson and one night we were talking about how cool would it be to sell ice cream on the beach. 

And so I found an old caravan online and I bought it straight away.

So the tourism community here is quite strong because it is a major part of what we have in this town.

With a pandemic there was a feeling of oneness. Everybody was in the same boat.

I think Australians should be holidaying more in their backyard because it really teaches us to appreciate what we have. 

I really hope the future of Australian tourism is that we do appreciate it a lot more.

You know the water's glassy, there's dolphins every morning. And there's kangaroos running down the street. That's the norm, that's what we that's what we have here. It's beautiful. 

Transcript of the 'The first Australian team to win the Spaceport America Cup' video

I'm proud to be Australian because we're a country of innovators.

My name is Matthew D’Souza. I'm studying Mechatronics Space Engineering, and Physics at the University of Sydney and i'm also involved in the USYD Rocketry Team.

I was an Avionics Engineer for USYD Rocketry Team Spaceport America Team.

Spaceport America Cup is the biggest rocket competition for universities. So our category was the biggest category of all. These were big name unis from all around the world and we were the first Australian team ever to compete in this competition.

We were definitely the underdogs going in. No one thought we'd do so well in our first year. We won our category with the highest points total in the history of the competition.

In 10 years, I'd like to see myself heavily involved in the domestic aerospace industry.

I'm really passionate about staying local and trying to find ways of building the industry at home.

It's really inspirational for younger people coming through to see that Australians can do these things in space and that they don't need to go overseas to have these opportunities. 

Transcript of the 'Becoming an Australian citizen' video

I'm proud to be Australian because Australia gives me the opportunity to become the best version of myself. 

[Music]

I came to Australia to study English.

And I just want to to explore what was going on in the other side of the world.

I fell in love with the country instantly, and been living here for the past 11 years.

I love the people.

I love the the way that people communicate with each other, the respect, the security, the opportunities.

I'm just very happy that I'm an Aussie already.

And I'm part of this environment, and I'm part of this country.

And I feel that I belong here.

So i appreciate, and I do not take it for granted. I'm gonna cry. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm very silly. 

Transcript of the 'Focusing on soft skills in education' video

I'm proud to be australian because of all the opportunities that we are given. 

I am Christine and I'm an English and Drama teacher at Liverpool Boys High School. 

In 2017, we were going "We really need need to make sure that our students are prepared for the real world."

So we've reoriented our school. We decided to assess on skills because we saw that our students have amazing skill sets. 

They might be wonderful communicators or really innovative and creative. But that's not reflected in their final mark. One mark
doesn't show you very much about a student.

So the idea of the skills profile is to actually go, "These are the skills that they have," alongside the ATAR that they received.

It allows employers universities to look at the students as a whole.

Yes, it's important to celebrate literacy in our language but it's also important to develop those skill sets as well.

You know if a kid's an amazing, creative individual that should be celebrated.

Transcript of the 'Saving our oceans from plastic pollution' video

I'm proud to be Australian because Australia is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the world

Being in the ocean makes me feel the most present and the most connected to myself.

When I'm in the ocean I feel completely free, and just at one with nature.

The feeling is second to none and, yeah, that's where this inspiration and drive to protect the ocean has come from.

When I became really passionate about plastic pollution in our oceans, I immediately wanted to do something about it.

So, I approached Take 3 to ask if I could be an ambassador for them.

If we continue on the path that we're on right now, then the next generation won't be able to experience the beaches like we have.

We live in one of the most beautiful  countries in the world, that is home to some of the most unique ecosystems in the world as well.

And I truly believe that, as Australians, we can protect these ecosystems and ensure that they survive many generations to come. 

Transcript of the 'Supporting Aussie Artists' video

I'm proud to be Australian because it's such a laid-back atmosphere and a place that's been so supportive.

I'm Hugo Griezmann, I'm a musician and in my spare time an artist and I'm best known for my work as one half of Flight Facilities.

Initially at school I was an artist, I suppose it was the one thing that I consider myself half decent at.

I somehow veered away from it, because I think I was too afraid to be judged for something I considered myself to have a talent at, and so I found my way into music where essentially I knew nothing.

I definitely think Australia is one of the best places to work on your craft.

Look at Australia's impact on the rest of the world, especially through things like art and music and how successful we've been for such a small country.

Australians should value the arts because it's such a big part of who we are. The Archibald Prize, for example.

And there's so many musicians as well that have made it outside Australia from working in their bedrooms.

And I think it's an important industry to support you. 

Transcript of the 'Celebrating the local surf club' video

I'm proud to be Australian because we always give back.

As a young boy, growing up in AV, the surf club for me was like a second home.

I wasn't in a real good place, a little bit of bullying at school and things like that.

So getting fit and strong with surfboat rowing and having that discipline from training really changed my life.

Surf clubs can play a pivotal role in getting people outdoors and into a healthy lifestyle.

It makes me proud to be a lifesaver. We're a total volunteer organisation.

If i can be that person or we we can be that organisation that people know that they can come to the beach and be safe, yeah, I'm very proud.

Surf lifesaving, it's that act of giving back. It's a it's a real Australian thing, we just come together and achieve that one goal of keeping our beaches safe and our community safe.

Transcript of the 'Budgy Smugglers over boardshorts' video

I'm proud to be australian and proud to run an australian business.

They're like, "What's a budgie?"

And you're like, "It's a small bird."

And they're like, "Well, why would you choose a small bird?"

And it's like, "Well, it's it's self-deprecating..."

Did i think i'd be producing tight fluoro swimwear for a living? 

I wanted to represent Australia in some capacity. 

Sports was probably what I wanted to do but lacked, uh, you know, some important characteristics: athletic ability, speed, um, strength, coordination.

S,o this was sort of the next opportunity available to me.

The Budgie Smuggler wearer is basically just someone that's good to have beers with and a laugh.

When we started board shorts were past the knee. They're now to here, and there's quite a lot of blokes that have just made the jump straight to the Smuggler. So, I think we will kill the curtains of shame.