PRIME MINISTER'S AUSTRALIA DAY MESSAGE
Since Australia Day first gained official recognition under Governor Macquarie
almost 200 years ago, 26 January has become a day of celebration for all Australians – from the bush to the beach, from towns to suburbs, and among those who have adopted Australia as their home as much as those of us who trace our family history back to Australia’s earliest times.
Australia Day allows us to pause and celebrate the achievements, the experiences and the values that we share as Australians. It is a time for us to hear stories of the early settlers, the explorers, the Gold Rush, the bushranger era, the coming together of a new nation through times of war and hardship, and the development of the diverse, multicultural Australia of today.
Australia Day is also a time for us to learn and understand more of our proud
Indigenous heritage, and the special understanding of our land that has been handed down through countless generations of Indigenous Australians. Our apology to the stolen generations on 13 February 2008 was part of a process that makes Australia Day a genuine national celebration, one in which we all can take an equal part - from Indigenous Australians to the descendants of convicts, to the settlers from Britain, and those who have come more recently from Europe, the Americas and our Asian and Pacific neighbourhood.
Australia Day also gives us an excellent opportunity to recognise outstanding
contributions to the life of the nation. Through the Australian of the Year Awards, we honour community service and achievement in many fields of endeavour. And, in different ways in different communities across Australia, we enthusiastically celebrate the great privilege of being Australians.
Ours is a country of breathtaking beauty, diversity and opportunity. It is the land of the fair go, distinguished by the resilience and good humour that has characterised Australians since our earliest times. Though we have many challenges ahead, we have much to celebrate together on Australia Day 2009.
The Honourable Kevin Rudd MP
Prime Minister of Australia