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When is Australia Day? Australia Day is celebrated each year on January 26, the day that Captain Arthur Phillip arrived at Sydney Cove with the First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Britain in 1788. What is Australia Day? Originally marking the arrival of the first British settlers and Captain Phillip’s raising of the Union Jack at Sydney Cove, the holiday has become a celebration of everything Australian.

GETTY Millions will celebrate Australia Day tomorrow

Over half of the population will mark the day with barbecues and fireworks, while new citizens will attend ceremonies to pledge their commitment to their new home. Each year, one person is named Australian of the Year by the Prime Minister, an honour celebrating “the achievement and contribution of eminent Australians by profiling leading citizens who are role models for us all”.

GETTY Many will head to the beach for barbecues and celebrations

Hottest bikini babes from Australia Thu, May 11, 2017 The hottest bikini babes from the land Down Under. Play slideshow PH 1 of 22 Natasha Oakley looks incredible in her latest photo shoot for St.Tropez

When did Australia day begin? Australia Day was first celebrated in the early 18th century, when immigrants who had settled in New South Wales would hold an anniversary dinner to celebrate their new home. Governor Lachlan Macquarie first made the date a public holiday in 1818, to mark the 30th anniversary of the settlers’ arrival. The holiday, then known as Foundation Day, remained local to New South Wales for many years. The centenary celebrations in 1888 were marked in all colonial capitals except for Adelaide, and by 1935 all states celebrated Australia Day. Many Indigenous Australians oppose Australia Day because of its origins, and have campaigned for the date to be changed. WHEN IS CHINESE NEW YEAR?

When did Australia day begin? Australia Day was first celebrated in the early 18th century, when immigrants who had settled in New South Wales would hold an anniversary dinner to celebrate their new home. Governor Lachlan Macquarie first made the date a public holiday in 1818, to mark the 30th anniversary of the settlers’ arrival. The holiday, then known as Foundation Day, remained local to New South Wales for many years. The centenary celebrations in 1888 were marked in all colonial capitals except for Adelaide, and by 1935 all states celebrated Australia Day.

GETTY There will be major firework displays in Sydney and Melbourne