What a day of celebration Saturday was, as all of us revelled in the various events that celebrated everything that’s great about being Australian. Some of us rocked on to various concerts featuring the best in Australian talent, while others took part in a plethora of contests (i.e. thong throwing). A number of new citizens were also welcomed into this great country of ours.
Amidst the festivities it is important to recall the birth of this day of celebration – the day Captain Arthur Phillip first raised the British flag at Sydney Cove on the 26th of January 1788. To date, we continue to honour this special day by reflecting on all the things that are great about being Australian.
Now, back to last Saturday…
While out and about, we saw thousands of people gathered in Sydney along the harbour to witness a wide range of celebrations, whereas the town was packed with beach parties, community breakfasts, concerts, parades, sporting events, exhibitions and firework displays. Just observing all what was going around us was a celebration in itself!
It was amazing to see how most of the details of the celebrations including photographs were spreading fast via Social Media channels with popular trending topics such as #ThankYouAustralia, #AusDayNSW and #AustraliaDay taking Twitter by storm. We wouldn’t be surprised if every single Australian who is using Social Media contributed using status updates, discussions and photographs on this awesome day.
We were fortunate to catch renowned Indigenous Artist, Jessica Mauboy perform live at the Sydney Harbour, starting off at Blues Point Reserve.
Festivities aside, here’s the summary of the main highlight of the day, the Australian of the Year Awards, which celebrate the achievements and contributions of eminent Australians, young and old, in all fields from science to sport. Without further ado, here are the winners in their respective categories:
Australian of the Year – Ita Buttrose AO OBE, brilliant and groundbreaking career in media
Senior Australian of the Year – Professor Ian Maddocks AM, eminent palliative care specialist and passionate advocate for world peace
Young Australian of the Year – Akram Azimi, dedicated mentor to young, Indigenous people
Australia’s Local Hero – Shane Phillips, advocate for Aboriginal Rights
We at solomoIT in Sydney are proud to be Australian and join hands in congratulating the winners and wishing them all success in their future endeavours.
Happy Australia Day everyone!