Australia Day Marketing Toolkit for LGAs
We have developed Australia Day key messaging, templates and other materials specifically for Local Government Areas to help promote events and activities in their community and on social media.
Downloads and Links
Key Messages and Themes
Australia Day 2025 tagline - Reflect, Respect, Celebrate
Australia Day 2025 is a day to Reflect, Respect and Celebrate the Australian spirit and the best of this vast country; our mateship, our sense of community, our resilience, and looking to the future with optimism and unity.
We acknowledge and reflect on the significant contribution each of us makes to Australia. From our First Nations people who have cared for this country for 65,000 years to our newest citizens – we all call Australia home. Our national day is about who we are as Australians.
Australia Day is a time to come together, to connect with each other and reflect on how we are all shaped by the land on which we live, work and play - from the freshwater to the saltwater, the rainforest to the desert.
As our Nation continues to grow, so too does our understanding of our history, who we are today and how we want Australia to evolve in the future.
We respect the contributions of all Australians and Australia Day is an opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity and rich migrant heritage which makes us proudly Australian.
Key Messages – Community Focus
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- This Australia Day, the community is encouraged to Reflect, Respect and Celebrate our nation and our people – and especially our strong sense of community.
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- Australia Day events across NSW for 2025, are a great way to start the year with a feeling of unity and optimism.
- From country to coast to city – Australia Day is an opportunity to reflect on our history, culture, lifestyle, landscape, our people and the many inspiring stories shared.
- There are some things we can’t change, but we can change how we engage together as we walk together in a positive way.
- Australia Day is the perfect occasion to support local communities and focus on togetherness and playing our part by getting behind local businesses and helping out our mates.
- Australia Day is a time to support each other and more than ever before, inspire and unify the community and the nation.
- To celebrate our diversity, NSW offers a calendar of activities for all ages, backgrounds and areas of interest. Visit australiaday.com.au for more information and check out your local council website. If you choose to stay local, don’t forget to tune into the Australia Day Live broadcast live on ABC TV and ABC iview from 7:30pm.
- January and Australia Day is a time to reignite your love of travel, explore and reconnect with the bush, create memories in your own backyard and celebrate the Aussie lifestyle – and it’s a long weekend
- Make a difference this Australia Day by supporting your local community and businesses. Simple efforts such as making a restaurant booking with friends or family, holidaying in NSW and buying locally made products will go a long way in making a difference.
- Some local councils will host their own activities, and our Australia Day Ambassadors will be out and about across NSW.
- For more information how you can mark the day, visit australiaday.com.au or visit your council website to plan ahead.
General Messages
Plan Ahead
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- If you are spending the day outdoors, be sun smart, eat well and drink plenty of water, and wear appropriate clothing for weather conditions.
- Please check transport apps and visit info to plan ahead before you make your journey.
- No BYO alcohol and no glass applies to some Australia Day event sites. Check your local council website to familiarise yourself with local restrictions.
- No matter where you spend the day, please put your rubbish in bins and limit the single-use items you bring with you. We want to keep our state clean.
- If you do drink, do it responsibly and look after yourself, your mates and your environment.
- Remember Australia Day is for everyone. Be respectful of people at all times.
- The NSW Government and Australia Day Council of NSW are looking forward to planning and celebrating Australia Day 2025.
- Australia Day in Sydney Program updates will be provided at australiaday.com.au and check out your council website for local events and activities.
Hot Weather Messaging
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- Heat affects everyone – It is important to take extra care during hot weather to reduce your risk of heat-related illness.
- There are simple ways to keep cool and stay hydrated in summer:
- Avoid being outdoors in the hottest part of the day as much as possible.
- Drink plenty of water regularly, even if you don’t feel thirsty.
- Take water with you if you’re going outside.
- Talk to your doctor about how to manage your health in the heat if you have a chronic illness, are on regular medications, or have a limit on your fluid intake.
- Protect your skin and eyes from the sun by applying sunscreen to exposed skin, wearing sunglasses and a hat.
- Even after hot weather has passed, your body can still be affected by it. Monitor your health in the days following hot weather and get medical assistance if you feel unwell.
Air Quality Messaging
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- If there is bushfire smoke in your area, take steps to reduce the time you spend in smoky air. Bushfire smoke has fine particles that can affect your health. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from bushfire smoke: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/bushfires
Submit your Event Listings
Promote Local Events on the Official Australia Day in NSW Website.
We're excited about what's going on all across the state and can help spread the word about what’s on in your local area.
We want to showcase the diversity of Australia Day events across NSW and inspire people to explore what’s happening on January 26 in their community, down at the local park, pools, pubs, community centres and many more.
Head to the 'Submit your Event Listings' page, create an account, add your event details, photo's and even links to your events. Hit submit and your event listings will appear on the 'What's on in NSW' page on the official Australia Day in NSW website viewed by thousands of Australians in NSW and around the country.
Councils are encouraged to submit Event Listings by Wednesday 22 January 2025 for your Australia Day 2025 events.
The Australia Day Council of NSW may also use your listings to promote your events on our social media channels, and feature in our media promotions.
Media Materials and Templates
The Australia Day Council of NSW has created templates designed to help you promote your Australia Day activities and Australia Day Ambassador’s visit.
Templates include a:
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- Media Release
- Letter to the Editor
- Newsletter/ Website copy
Simply copy the following templates into a new Word Document and fill it out with information about your event.
Template – Media Release
[Insert LGA logo]
Heading:
[INSERT COMMUNITY] to welcome [INSERT AMBASSADOR NAME] as Australia Day Ambassador
Subhead:
Innovators, educators, musicians, healthcare professionals, elite athletes and environmental advocates are among the inspirational Australians who will take part in events across NSW as Australia Day Ambassadors on 26 January 2025.
[INSERT DATE]
Body:
These outstanding citizens and local heroes are handpicked each year by the Australia Day Council of NSW for their exceptional contributions to the community to inspire national spirit. This year’s cohort features charity founders helping people in crisis, an architect committed to sustainable living and an award-winning children’s author.
[INSERT AMBASSADOR NAME] is this year’s [INSERT COMMUNITY] Australia Day Ambassador and will join celebrations in [INSERT LOCATION].
[INSERT BIO OF AMBASSADOR]
The personal stories of the Australia Day Ambassadors are as unique and inspiring as the local communities they visit. The Australia Day Ambassadors will travel to all corners of the state, from Bega Valley to Blacktown and Gilgandra to Glen Innes, participating in citizenship ceremonies welcoming new Australians, community festivals, cultural performances and charity events.
Example Quote: Mayor of /representative title [INSERT REGION] [INSERT NAME] said: “Australia Day is a day to reflect on what it means to be Australian, acknowledge our shared history and recognise our diversity and celebrate all the people who make our country unique.
“We are thrilled to have [INSERT AMBASSADOR NAME] join our Australia Day celebrations this year as an opportunity to hear their story and be inspired by their achievements.”
Now in its 34th year, the NSW Australia Day Ambassador Program is the largest in the country. The program bolsters the Australia Day events and activities in Sydney with Australia Day Ambassadors encouraging communities across NSW to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate.
Minister for Jobs and Tourism John Graham said: “These NSW Australia Day Ambassadors represent the heart and soul of our state and showcase the community spirit that we celebrate in NSW.
“Our ambassadors are an integral part of the Australia Day in NSW program and will take part in events and activities in communities right around the state.
“I look forward to seeing this year’s group of accomplished Australians inspire communities and unite us as we come together as a nation to respect and reflect.”
[INSERT AMBASSADOR NAME] is proud to be an Australia Day Ambassador and to visit [INSERT COMMUNITY] to join the community celebrations.
Example Quote: [INSERT AMBASSADOR NAME] said: “I am honoured to be able to share the day with the community and share what I love about this country. Being an Australia Day Ambassador is an opportunity to connect with others on what it means to be Australian and share stories of our histories and diverse backgrounds.”
A full list of 2025 NSW Australia Day Ambassadors and the communities they will visit is available at: https://www.australiaday.com.au/about/australia-day-ambassadors.
Media contact
[INSERT MEDIA CONTACT]
Template – Letter to the Editor
A letter to the Editor of your local newspaper may be an effective way to inform readers that an Australia Day Ambassador is coming to your local event on January 26. Simply copy and paste the following template and the information about the Ambassador program into a new Word document and fill it out with the necessary information.
Letters to the editor can be easily submitted via email. Visit the appropriate newspaper home page and look under the ‘contact us’ tab. Email it through to the main email address, or the nominated Letter to the Editor email.
Subject Header: ‘Letter to the Editor: Australia Day Ambassador’.
Dear Editor,
I’m very happy to announce that [Ambassador full name] will be spending this Australia Day in [community name]. [Ambassador full name] will be visiting as part of the Australia Day 2025 Australia Day Council of NSW Ambassador Program.
Known for their contributions as [title/experience], we are very excited to welcome [Australia Day Ambassador full name] to [community name] and show them how we mark our national day.
In [community name], we respect the contributions of all Australians, and we celebrate our achievements by coming together and connecting with family, friends and community.
Having [Australia Day Ambassador first name] with us to share [his/her] inspiring stories will help us develop these themes further.
Australia Day 2025 is a day to reflect, respect and celebrate the Australian spirit and the best of this vast country; mateship, a strong sense of community, resilience, and looking forward with optimism and hope. This year, I want to encourage everyone from [community name] to mark Australia Day in a way that is meaningful to them.
Details about [community name]’s official 2025 Australia Day event/activities are as follows:
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- When: Sunday 26 January 2025 at [start/finish time]
- Location: [street address, suburb]
- Activities: [list of activities – if a schedule is available, please include]
For more information please visit [LGA website address]. We’re asking residents of [community name] to join the conversation by uploading a photo of how they’re recognising Australia Day to their social media channels and use the hashtag #AusDayNSW
About the Ambassador Program
The ADCNSW Ambassador Program has been running for more than 30 years and for Australia Day 2025, our remarkable Australians will volunteer to participate in a program of activities around the state. Ambassadors share the common goal of banding together in solidarity, sharing stories of optimism and showing support to communities across the state.
The program started with just nine Ambassadors in 1990, following the hugely successful 1988 bicentenary. The original Ambassadors included Australian heart-transplant recipient Fiona Coote; pioneering Australian aviator, the late Nancy Bird Walton AO OBE; rock ‘n roll singer Col Joye AM; and former Australian cricketer Alan Davidson AM MBE. The program continues to attract Australians of the highest calibre every year.
MEDIA interviews with NSW Ambassadors: [email protected].
For more information on Australia Day 2025, please visit australiaday.com.au
[Local council]
[Representative full name]
[Phone]
[Email]
Template – Newsletter/ Website copy
To make it easy for your community to get involved in telling the story of how we mark Australia Day, include the below copy in your electronic direct mail (EDM), or website (where appropriate).
Title/ Header: Australia Day in [Council name] 2025
Australia Day 2025 is a day to reflect, respect and celebrate the Australian spirit. We use the day to highlight the best of this country and in [council name] including:
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- Australia’s Aboriginal culture and heritage
- our mateship
- our sense of community
- our resilience
- lifestyle, culture and people from all walks of life
- our cultural diversity and rich migrant heritage
- our optimism and hope as we look to the future.
[Include details around your local events and activities]
This Australia Day, we encourage you to reconnect with country – with local attractions, people and the Aussie lifestyle – and at the same time support local, regional and rural communities and businesses throughout January and on Australia Day.
Join the conversation this Australia Day by uploading a photo using #AusDayNSW.
You can watch Australia Day Live at the Sydney Opera House live from 7:30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview:
For more information on Australia Day 2025 and what's on in NSW, please visit australiaday.com.au.
Tips and Tricks
1. Use Relevant Hashtags
Be part of the nation’s biggest online conversation in the lead-up to and on Australia Day by using #AustraliaDayNSW.
Where relevant, you may also like to include other hashtags such as:
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- #AusDayAmbassador
- #[name of the local government area you will be in]
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Don’t forget to tag us in your posts so we can share and spread the love.
2. Leverage your nominated Australia Day Ambassador
To have an Australia Day Ambassador attend your Australia Day event is a huge honour.
Think of ways they can engage in your event by speaking, participating in activities, or communicating with the media. It’s your chance to promote and shine a light on what's happening and what's unique about your local area, the attractions and its people.
Use the pre-drafted social media posts and templates for you to give to them and ask them to post on social media for you or repost your councils' social posts.
3. Spread the Message
Think of all the ways you can spread the message about how your community is marking Australia Day!
Make sure you leverage your contacts and stakeholders. And don’t forget to ask others to share your social media posts.
Social Media Templates
The following social media posts will make it easy for you to create discussion in the lead-up to Australia Day. Feel free to tailor them to your local government area’s tone of voice.
We recommend using an image from your previous local Australia Day celebrations to go with the text provided below.
Suggested Posts – To encourage people to share
Put #AusDayNSW in your posts and share!
See where you can find all the fun this australiaday.com.au
Check out all the great local events at australiaday.com.au
Show how you mark @AustraliaDayNSW with #AusDayNSW
See what’s on near you at australiaday.com.au
Suggested Posts – From a council or group
Check out australiaday.com.au to find out what’s happening in your local community.
Let’s all come together for #AusDayNSW!
Suggested Posts – From an Ambassador
Stay Connected and up to date with Australia Day in NSW
Stay connected and see what others are up to this Australia Day. We encourage you to tag and share content from the below media channels.