On what date is Australia Day observed?

Australia Day is observed on 26 January.

The date commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the raising of the British flag under Governor Arthur Phillip. Sydney Cove, known by the Indigenous name Warrane, became the site of the first British settlement in New South Wales.

The date was not immediately a unified national holiday. New South Wales marked its anniversary earlier than other colonies, while Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia observed different foundation-related days. The name Australia Day spread gradually, becoming established across the states by 1935.

Since 1994, 26 January has been observed as a unified public holiday in every Australian state and territory. The date is also contested: many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people observe it as Invasion Day, Survival Day, or a day of mourning because it marks the beginning of British colonisation.