While most Australians celebrate Australia Day as the day to celebrate, there were protests held by aboriginal people to mark the day as ‘Invasion day’.
Australia Day festivities around the country have included swimming races, lamington-eating competitions and whip cracking.
In Queensland, locals took part in whip cracking lessons in Toowoomba, a great Aussie pie-eating contest on the Sunshine Coast, and an attempt to break the world record for the longest line of giant inflatable thongs in open water at Mooloolaba beach.
Ice-skating and tobogganing were on the menu in Rockhampton while thong-throwing competitions were scheduled in Cairns.
On the Gold Coast, people gathered to watch pig racing at Bundall.
In Hobart locals indulged in a very traditional Australia Day surf lifesaving carnival, which kicked off with an ocean race.
Darwin celebrated Australia Day with a fun run, a citizenship ceremony, a 21-gun salute and a ute muster.
At Parramatta, in Sydney’s west, celebrations started early with a hot air balloon display at sunrise.
In Coffs Harbour, on the NSW mid north coast, Indigenous culture was central to celebrations at the annual Saltwater Freshwater Festival, headlined by singer-songwriter Archie Roach.
In Melbourne, thousands of people watched the Australia Day parade in the city centre, braving wet weather to celebrate the nation.
People covered by umbrellas and rain coats cheered on groups from various countries as they marched along Swanston Street to Kings Domain.
The city’s festivities finished with a fireworks display at Docklands.
In Western Australia, thousands of people lined the Swan River foreshore for Perth’s Skyworks event which included fireworks and a laser show.
In Melbourne, Australia, around 800 people marched to mark Invasion day Sunday.
The Melbourne Invasion Day march this year marched to the official “Australia Day” march and pushed aside the barricades and occupied the space. Attendees reported that those at the official march “didn’t seam to know what to do.”
Some members of the Invasion Day march chatted with those in the offical march and explained the history behind the date. Some activists, according to GreenLeft Weekly, reported that there was some sympathy from those in the offical march, who joined the Invasion Day march instead.
“No pride in genocide,” was one of the chants of the Invasion Day march.