HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY 26th JANUARY 2009

Australia Day is Australia's official national day, 26 January. It commemorates the landing of the First Fleet in Sydney Cove on that day in 1788.Sir Macfarlane Burnet was the first Australian of the Year in 1960.

Occupying an entire continent of some 7.6 million square kilometres, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world.

The Honourable Alfred Deakin was Australia's Prime Minister three times from 1903 to 1910. He attended Melbourne Grammar School and the University of Melbourne. He practiced law and was a journalist for the Age newspaper.

\About 85 per cent of flowering plants, 84 per cent of mammals, more than 45 per cent of birds, and 89 per cent of inshore, freshwater fish are unique to Australia.A worldwide competition to design the Australian flag attracted 32,823 entries in 1901.

There were 5 winners who shared the 200 pound prize money.Australia Day celebrates the anniversary of Captain Arthur Phillip unfurling the British flag at Sydney Cove and proclaiming British sovereignty over the eastern seaboard of Australia on 26 January 1788.

The quest for the celebration of a united Australian national day commenced within a few years of the First Fleet landing and the subsequent white settlement of this island continent.

The following timeline gives a chronological history of how Australians have acknowledged, celebrated and mourned January 26 since 1788.

It traces the path that leads to all States and Territories celebrating Australia Day as one on January 26 annually.January 26, through more than 200 years of debate and controversy, has remained the Australian celebratory national day since that date in January 1788 when 'formal possession was taken of the Colony of New South Wales

On that day, Captain Arthur Phillip became Governor of the Colony, having jurisdiction over the area bounded by latitude 10 37' to latitude 43 49' south and inland to longitude 135 east'.

The fledgling colony soon began to mark the anniversary of 26 January 1788 with formal dinners and informal celebrations. Manning Clark noted that on January 26, 1808, the 'anniversary of the foundation of the colony' was observed in the traditional manner with 'drinking and merriment'.

John Macarthur Senior had ensured his soldiers were amply supplied with liquor, bonfires were blazing and private houses illuminated.By 1820, Australia was beginning to look undeniably prosperous and sentiments of Australian patriotism were being expressed at gatherings of ex-convicts.

The sense of belonging to a new nation was encouraged in 1817 when Governor Macquarie recommended the adoption of the name Australia, instead of New Holland, for the entire continent

Advance Australia Fair’ is the national anthem of Australia.

A revised version of a late nineteenth century patriotic song, it was officially declared the national anthem on 19 April 1984.

Advance Australia Fair-National Anthem

Before you click on the Anthem to play. please click on the stop button on my header to stop playing .. GDay Gday

http://www.australiaday.vic.gov.au/anthem.mp3

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are young and free,

We've golden soil and wealth for toil,

Our home is girt by sea,

Our land abounds in nature's gifts Of beauty rich and rare,

In history's page, let every stage

Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross

We'll toil with hearts and hands

,To make this Commonwealth

of ours Renowned of all the lands,

For those who've come across the seas

We've boundless plains to share,

With courage let us all combine to

Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.