First Nations Australians

This Australia Day, the community is encouraged to Reflect, Respect and Celebrate our nation and our people – especially our strong sense of community as we work towards reconnecting.

Australia Day 2023 is a time to recognise the resilience of all Australians and to focus on what we can achieve when we move forward as a community and a unified nation.

Australia Day means different things to different people and everyone is encouraged to acknowledge Australia Day in a way that’s meaningful to them. We acknowledge the significant contribution that everyone makes to our nation, from First Nations people who have lived here for 65,000 years to our newest citizens who call Australia home.

Australia Day is an opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity and rich migrant heritage, which is very much part of our unique Australian identity and has helped shape a nation proud of its strong and successful multiculturalism.

Regardless of our origins or our past, it’s a day for Australians from all backgrounds and communities to come together to share stories, embrace our diversity, and celebrate our unity.

We all belong, and we all contribute to this nation’s story and achievements.

Details on the Australia Day 2023 program can be found here.

On Australia Day our deep respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is infused into everything we undertake as part of our commemorations. But in doing so we acknowledge that 26 January is a date that, for many, is a reminder of the hurt caused by the arrival of Europeans to this land.

Our desire is that Australia Day is a time for inclusion, as well as an opportunity for greater understanding and reconciliation.

We hope it can be a day when Australians from all backgrounds come together to celebrate the success and optimism of our modern, tolerant and multicultural society; and the strength and resilience of First Nations Australians.

We commit to engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, elders and peoples about Australia Day activities in a true partnership. This includes seeking counsel and permission to draw on this vibrant and profound culture.

We acknowledge the traditional owners of the countries and lands on which Australia Day activities take place, particularly the Gadigal, who are the traditional owners of the lands around Sydney Harbour.

And more than that, we hope to engage all Australians at a deeper level. We continue to work towards the best expression of our national day activities, ensuring that every aspect of our day is welcoming, inclusive and representative of the enormous diversity of this great country.

^{Image caption: Performers from the Koomurri Aboriginal Dance Troupe during the Smoking Ceremony, which cleanses the way for new beginnings at the WugulOra Morning Ceremony.}