Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Jackson in New South Wales. It is much like July 4th Independence Day in the United States.
Everyone has the day off to celebrate with a picnic in the park or beach with family and enjoying music venues. In our case we had Carole and Lance and JT and Liz over to celebrate the day with a dinner party at our new digs. It was a lovely evening. Although fireworks were suspended this year, we brightly celebrated in the shadow of the Story Bridge with our wonderful friends. For me, Australia Day is special because this country offered my family refuge when they escaped with just the clothes on their backs from Communist Czechoslovakia in 1949.