In which year did the name “Australia Day” become official nationwide? The answer is 1935.
The date 26 January had been observed in parts of Australia long before it gained a unified national name. New South Wales marked the anniversary of the First Fleet’s arrival with celebrations variously called Anniversary Day, Foundation Day, or First Landing Day. Other colonies maintained their own commemorative holidays.
After Federation in 1901, pressure grew for a shared national observance. Victoria adopted 26 January as Australia Day in 1931, and by 1935 every state was celebrating the date under that name, although New South Wales continued to use “Anniversary Day” in some local contexts. The holiday was not fully unified as a public holiday until 1946, when Commonwealth and state governments agreed to coordinate celebrations.
A common mix-up is confusing 1935 with 1946: 1935 established the nationwide name and observance, while 1946 marked a later agreement to unify the celebrations. The date itself commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788, a history whose meaning remains contested and closely connected with Indigenous remembrance and protest.