Albanese said today was an opportunity for the nation to reflect on what makes the country great.
“The great gift of Australia Day is that it gives us the perfect opportunity to come together to celebrate everything that unites us as a nation and makes us the best country on earth,” Anthony Albanese told The Australian.
“We are all lucky to call Australia home, whether you’re Australian by birth or by choice, whether your ancestors have loved and cared for this land for 65,000 years and or whether you’re joining our Australian family at citizenship ceremonies across our nation today, pledging your loyalty to our people, our values and our democracy.”
The major cities around Australia will be hosting their own events to mark Australia Day.
A First Nations artwork by Garry Purchase called Dancing in the Moonlight was projected on the sails of the Sydney Opera House.
There will be a wide-scale citizenship ceremony at Circular Quay at around 10.30am, with the annual Ferrython, a race between four Sydney ferries, happening at about midday.
The celebrations in Sydney will conclude tonight with an Australia Day live concert on the Sydney Opera House forecourt, with Cody Simpson one of many artists to be performing.
The concert will begin at 7.30pm.
The main event in the nation’s capital on Australia Day is the National Citizenship and Flag Raising Ceremony on Lake Burley Griffin.
The Prime Minister and Governor General will attend, alongside the Australian of the Year recipients, as the country welcomes some of its new citizens in an eye-catching ceremony.
It features a helicopter fly-past and a bomber fly-over, as well as a 21-gun salute.
Federation Square will be hosting an all-day event with activities for the family, food and music.
There will also be an official flag-raising ceremony, and an open day at Government House.
The Mourning in the Morning Ceremony still went ahead as planned.
This will take place over the Swan River, with the 30-minute show beginning at 8.30pm.
Called “Great Australian Bites”, it will begin at 2pm on Riverside Green at South Bank Parklands and will have pop-up stalls and food trucks sharing food from across the nation, reflecting Australia’s multiculturalism.
There will also be a silent disco and live cooking demonstrations.
