Australia Day, 26 January, is the day to reflect on what it means to be Australian, to celebrate contemporary Australia and to acknowledge our history.
We acknowledge that Australia day is not celebrated in the same way across our community, or in some cases, at all. Australia Day provides an opportunity to reflect on the resilience and survival of Aboriginal culture and its people.
We have been advised that, due to the impacts and risks associated with COVID-19, no community organisers are running any public Australia Day events this year. However, many Council-run facilities, from beautiful parks like Wilson Botanic Park to attractions like Myuna Farm, will be open to the public so that you can gather with your friends and family to celebrate what's great about being Australian. For a full list of public spaces and attractions, visit our website.
Australia Day is an occasion to reflect on what we have achieved, what we can be proud of and acknowledge the contribution that every Australian makes to our diverse, great nation. This is why we continue to run the Casey Australia Day Awards, which recognise and honour outstanding people in the Casey community who consistently go above and beyond in their contribution to the Casey community as a volunteer, professional or community member.
This year, COVID-19 restrictions permitting, Casey Australia Day Awards finalists will be invited to a 2021 Casey Australia Day Awards event. At this ceremony, Casey's Citizens of the Year will be announced. The awards ceremony is invite-only but it will be livestreamed to the community via our Facebook page, which is a wonderful way to publicly recognise the achievements of these outstanding residents.
Becoming an Australian Citizen is about committing to Australia and its people. For most applicants, taking the Australian citizenship pledge at a citizenship ceremony is the final step in the journey to becoming an Australian. 70 people will become our newest Australian Citizens at a private ceremony hosted by Casey on Australia Day, 202. Australia Day is a community day, and while it is unfortunate that we will not be participating in any large public events, we hope you can take the time to gather safely with loved ones to celebrate the many facets of contemporary life of which we can all be proud.
To find out more about Council’s Australia Day Awards program, visit https://www.casey.vic.gov.au/casey-australia-day-awards