A Grand Finale Fitting a Great Nation

Sydney-siders and tourists from around the country and around the world are set to witness another fireworks extravaganza as Darling Harbour hosts their Australia Day Fireworks spectacular on Wendnesday 26th January 2011.

Major events in Sydney on Australia Day 2011

See below for major events in Sydney on Australia Day 2011

DARLING HARBOUR AUSTRALIA DAY – FREE ACTIVITES ALL DAY LONG

There’s nowhere better to take the family on Australia Day than Darling Harbour! Get everyone together to celebrate our cultural diversity with a huge day of free entertainment by the harbour including the official NSW Australia Day Spectacular.

CHILDREN’S STAGE

11.30am – 4.30pm, Curtain Call Lawn
Jay Laga'aia will host the ever-popular ABC for Kids concert on the Curtain Call Lawn. Catch Roary the Racing Car, Spot the Dog, The Koala Bros, The Wot Wots and everyone’s favourites Miffy and Postman Pat. The entertainment will continue after the concert with exciting Chinese face-changing magician Thomas Lin and French clown Leo Bonne.

AUSSIE SHORTS

12 noon – 4pm, Harbourside Amphitheatre
For the first time on Australia Day, Darling Harbour will host Aussie Shorts, an inspiring program of Australian short films curated by Cinewest. Sit back and take in the best short films by a swathe of new Australian film-makers from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.

WORLD MUSIC AND DANCE PROGRAM

1pm – 6pm, Cockle Bay South
This splendid floating stage will host a colourful line up of bands and dancers celebrating our cultural diversity. The stage will showcase some of Australia’s best world music artists with everything from Indigenous performers and contemporary Indian dance to West African music, Chinese performers, European folkloric groups, Caribbean reggae and Latin dance.

AUSTRALIA DAY SPECTACULAR

7:00pm - 9:00pm, Cockle Bay
Quite simply the biggest event on the NSW Australia Day calendar! The Australia Day Spectacular will include addresses from the NSW Premier and the Governor, boat parades, a live concert featuring the original music of Nigel Westlake played by the Sydney Youth Orchestra, a multimedia symphony of light, sound and music and a breathtaking finale of fireworks.

RACV Australia Day Picnic and Federation Vehicle Display

Where: Melbourne
Start time: 26 January 2011, 10:00 am
End time: 26 January 2011, 4:00 pm

A real favourite with families, the Kings Domain Gardens will feature multi-instrumentalist James Morrison and the famous Federation Vehicle Display, with more than 500 veteran, vintage and classic vehicles and entertainment, free activities and scrumptious food stalls.

Celebrate RACV’s involvement within the Victorian community, 100 years of the Chevrolet motorcar and 56 years of the Vintage and Veteran Vehicle Club along with special displays, activities, Ticklish Allsorts, free RACV giveaways – and of course a birthday cake! Wave off the vehicles as they leave the gardens at 3:30pm.

See the RACV / AFA sanctioned Fly ball Competition. Join in at the activity arena, learn to play soccer for under 5yrs with soccer time kids, practice tai chi, make your own bird feeder to take home with you, check your blood pressure with the Royal District Nursing Service, play mini golf, mini basketball, bocce, chess with the master, learn to lace, play hockey, play fencing, join in the many interactive activities with Guides Victoria and Scouts Australia, draw your vision of Australia, learn all about the State Emergency Service and the Australian Air Force Cadets, handle the baby animals, paint your boomerang, learn about alpacas, learn to relax through laughter, have a massage, an Alexander Technique lesson, a spinal check, and visit the RACV Community Partners' Area for lots of fun, games and give-aways, including Independence Australia's wheelchair challenge. Do some planting with Greening Australia, meet Captain Starlight, try vision simulation goggles with Guide Dogs Victoria, slop on sunscreen with the Cancer Council of Victoria and have fun with Arts Centre’s kids program.

Help us green this event – bring your own water bottle and refill at the hydration station provided. By re-filling your own water bottles, we can reduce the numbers of bottled water used at this event.

Proudly supported by RACV in conjunction with the Federation of Veteran, Vintage and Classic Vehicle Clubs.

Advance Australia Fair -- Sing it on Australia Day

One of the highlights of Australia Day is the singing of our National Anthem, Advance Australia Fair.

If you need to brush up on the words, here they are below.

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.

For more information on our National Anthem, click here http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/publications/symbols/factsheets/australian_national_anthem.pdf

Test your knowledge of Australia Day

Here are some fun activities to test your general knowledge about Australia and Australia Day.

CROSSWORD

See if you can complete the following Australia Day Crossword http://www.australiaday.org.au/pages/images/Crossword.pdf

So how well did you do? Find the answers here http://www.australiaday.org.au/pages/images/Crossword-answers.pdf

FIND-A-WORD

See if you can complete the following Australia Day Find-A-Word http://www.australiaday.org.au/pages/images/Find-a-word.pdf

So how well did you do? Find the answers here http://www.australiaday.org.au/pages/images/Find-a-word%20-%20answers.pdf

TRIVIA QUESTIONS (and ANSWERS)

Australian Trivia 1 http://www.australiaday.org.au/pages/images/Australian%20Trivia%20-%20QandAs.pdf

Australian Trivia 2 http://www.australiaday.org.au/pages/images/Australian%20Trivia%202011.pdf

A to Z of Event Ideas for Australia Day

A to Z of Event Ideas for Australia Day

Here are a few more ideas of things to do to make your Australia Day celebrations even more exciting.

A - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance festival, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Welcome to Country, Affirmation ceremony, Afternoon tea, Animal farm, Arts and crafts exhibition, Athletics, Aussie slang contest, Australiana quiz

B - Balloon art, Basketball competition, Battle of the bands, Bazaar, BBQ-s for breakfast, lunch, dinner, Beer can regatta, Billy boiling competition, Billy tea and damper feast, Billycart races, Birdman rally, Boat race, Boomerang throwing, Bowls tournament, Breakfast, Bush dance, Bush picnic, Bushman's relay, Bush regeneration day, Bush tucker tasting, Bush walking tour, Buskers

C - Cat competition/judging, Celebrity dunking, Celtic festival, Chinese lion/dragon, Chocolate wheel, Church services, Citizen awards, Citizenship ceremony, Civic reception, Clowns, Coach rides, Collage, Colouring-in competition, Concert, Coo-ee competition, Cow pat bingo, Cricket match, Croquet

D - Damper cooking, Dance display/competition, Debating, Disco, Dog competition/judging

E - Eating competition, Egg and spoon race, Emergency services open day/display, Essay competition, Exhibitions

F - Face painting, Family tree displays, Fashion parade, , Film festival, Fire engine rides, Fire service demonstrations, Fire station open day, Fireworks, Fishing competition,
Flag raising ceremony, Flyball demonstration, Food and wine festival, Fun run, Futuristic day

G - Garden competition, Golf tournament, Greyhound racing, Gumboot throwing

H - Harness racing, Hat competition, Heritage walk, Historical building tour, Historical display, Horse racing, Horse shoe tossing, Horse shodding display

I - Ice scuptures, In-line skating demonstration, Invite your local member, Iron man/woman competition

J - Javelin throwing, Jelly bean guessing competition, Jelly mould competition, Jumping castles

K - Kite flying competition, Kayak races, Kid's relays, Kindness awards, Kilt fashion parade, Knitting competition/display

L - Lamington making, Lamington throwing, Line dancing, Lion dance, Literary awards, Local legends (explore history and recognise local achievers) Lucky dip, Lucky door/gate prize

M - Meat pie eating competition, Merry-go-round, Morning tea, Mouse racing, Multicultural food, Model car/aircraft exhibition, Movie screening, Mural, Music festival

N - Needlecraft display, Noodle market

O - Old time dancing, Open gardens, Outback concert, Oz quiz evening

P - Parade, Pavlova making demonstration, Pet show, Photographic display, Picnic, Poetry readings, Pony rides, Pool party, Public speaking competition, Pumpkin bowling, Puppet show

R - Raft race, Re-enactments, Relays, Republicans vs monarchists cricket match, River procession, Rock climbing wall, Rodeo, Rolling pin toss, Rubber duck races

S - Sack races, Sandcastle building competition, Sao eating competition, Sausage sizzle, Scarecrow building, Shearing demonstration, Sheepdog trials, Shief tossing competition, Show jumping and dressage, Shovelling competition, Singing, Skateboarding demonstration, Skydiving, Sporting competitions, Stalls, Story-telling, Street theatre, Stroll through park, Surf carnival, Swimming carnival, Swimming relays

T - Talent quest, Ten-pin bowling, Thong throwing, Three-legged race, Time capsules, Touch football, Treasure hunt, Tree planting, Triathalon, Tug-of-war, Twilight concert

U - Up hill race, University vs TAFE sporting matches, Ukulele demonstration

V - Vegetable sculptures, Vintage car display, Volleyball

W - Water slide, Welcome to Country, Wheelie bin races, Whip cracking, White elephant stall, Wood chopping, Wooden horse race, Wool bale rolling

X - Xylophone demonstration

Y - Yabby catching competition, Yarn spinning, Yo-yo competition

Z - Zodiac quiz

Australia Day provides communities, families and friends the oppertunity to get together and celebrate

Australia Day provides communities, families and friends the oppertunity to get together and celebrate in a wide range of ways.

The following is a list of some of the more creative things you, your family or your community can do in the lead up to and on Australia Day itself.

Anthem Singer competition (for Flag Raising/Citizenship ceremony etc.)
Photography competition (local library may display, local paper may print, local radio may add to their website)
Colouring in competition for small children (local paper may run this )
Australia Day Trivia Quiz (possible to team up with a local club, could run in conjunction with local paper)
Australia Day Crossword (could run in conjunction with local paper)
Comedy debate (best before Australia Day rather than on the day itself, so it can be a bit irreverent)
Poster design
‘Best Australian Sound Picture’ music from natural objects (sticks, gum leaf, grass, seedpods)—small scale event for a street corner maybe
Most creative use of flags (See Flag and Flag Raising Tool) such as bike decoration, mural, mobile, cake decoration, apron, costume
‘Old sports’ oriented Australia Day activities focusing on local (benign!) rivalries—between towns/localities/sporting groups/clubs/schools/ businesses/
Tug of war
‘Fire fighter’ relay
Tractor pulls
Human machines/Iron man/Iron woman
Water sports
Debates
Sports orienteering
Best Australia Day Hat
Best Historical costume
Best Australia Day Contemporary costume
Best Under 10s dress up
Innovative use of Australiana, the flag (within appropriate guidelines for representation of the flag) or other means of interpreting the theme
Bring a new friend to the Breakfast
Bring a grandparent to the Flag Raising
‘Adopt’ a new Australian on the day
Demonstration /peer teaching/workshops on culturally specific musical instrument
Demonstration /peer teaching/workshops on a culturally specific or game or sport
‘Spicing it up’ using the mortar and pestle (workshop or demonstration)
‘Find it and try it’ bush tucker (needs Indigenous guide)
Community poster with images made by various people (theme suggested) using charcoal of a burnt stick or finger painting or bark
‘Aussie Voices’ concert with multicultural performers
Youth bands are always a good start
Local idol talent quest
‘Rap up Australia’ competition
Air guitar competition
Guitar design competition (specify Australian component—use cardboard guitar template)
Young vs Old events (trivia, local Australia Day version of Spicks and Specs, knitting a scarf)
‘Still call Australia Home’ construction challenge with found materials—construct a shed or small building
Multicultural food stalls
Community picnic / barbeques
Cooking demonstrations
Cooking competitions
family concerts
concerts targeting particular groups
concerts catering for specific interests (rock concert, country and western, folk and blues) Need to involve people experienced at doing this