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It was a special day (6 March 2023) when Florence Fahy was awarded Life membership of the Wattle Day Association. |
L to R: Robyn Sykes, Carol Heuchen and Janine Keating ready to present
the Blackened Billy Poetry Awards in Orange NSW 22 Feb 2023.
Australia Day is one of Australia’s few official national days of celebration. National Wattle Day, proclaimed in 1992, is another.
National days come and go as their relevance changes. Who celebrates Empire Day (Queen Victoria’s birthday on 24 May)? This became a commemorative day after the Queen’s death in 1901 for more than 50 years (1903 – 1958). Names change too. January 26 was called ‘First Landing Day’ and ‘Foundation Day’ by the colonists of NSW to mark the beginning of British occupation of Australia. Later it was called ‘Australia Day’, ‘Day of Mourning’, 'Invasion Day', and 'Survival Day'.
Other countries have several national public holidays each year for people to celebrate their history, identity, values, beliefs and nature’s annual cycles. In Australia we have few and room for more.
Pragmatically National Wattle Day (1 September) is well placed to become a national public holiday as there are currently no such days from July onwards and very few state or territory public holidays in the latter part of the year. On the first day of spring, this national day of unity has great symbolism in its timing and the intrinsic messages of Australia’s more than 1,000 wattles (Acacia species) about how to thrive in this great land: diversity, resilience, and adaptation.
To quote Jack Fahy, Wattle Day Association founder, it is also a time for thanksgiving for the great good fortune we share in this country where we aspire to equality of opportunity and the absence of violence to settle disputes.
Dr Suzette Searle
President Wattle Day Association Inc.
Thursday 26 January 2023
The first day of the Australian spring - 1 September - was proclaimed by the Governor-General of Australia, Bill Hayden, in 1992 to be Australia's National Wattle Day for everyone across Australia to celebrate at the same time. This national day was a unifying gesture as many individual wattle days are celebrated on many different dates in different states and territories from July to October when the local wattle flowering is at its best.
National Wattle Day has yet to be declared a national holiday but it has been an gaze
The first celebration of wattle day in more than one state on the same day took place, on 1 September in 1910 in NSW, Victoria and South Australia. And then with the First World War (1914-1918) and the desire to sell wattle sprigs to raise money for the troops overseas and later for maimed soldiers and women and children's charities, the date was changed to 1 August in NSW and other dates elsewhere to coincide with the best flowering of their local wattles from July (Qld) to late September (South Australia).
Want to know more about why we celebrate National Wattle Day?
Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha)
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Wattles have long had special meanings for Australians and have been a popular symbol of Australia and Australians for more than a century. Amongst Australia's wattles (all 1,070 Acacia species of them are native to Australia) there are many hundreds with yellow blossoms that are all called golden wattle. However there is just one, Acacia pycnantha (Golden Wattle) that was officially gazetted as Australia's national floral emblem in 1988. |
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There is no one way to celebrate National Wattle Day and you are only limited by your imagination.
You might like to:
Queensland New South Wales ACT Victoria Western Australia
©Howard Moffat
https://www.7regional.com.au/news/7477689-lismore-award
Lismore’s Mayor, Steve Kreig (right) is about to accept the Golden Wattle Award 2022 on behalf of the Lismore Community from Mike Gilmour, Vice-President of the Wattle Day Association.
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Mike Gilmour (left) congratulates Steve Kreig (Mayor of Lismore). |
The 2022 Golden Wattle Award honours the Lismore Community, who when
faced with the most challenging and difficult circumstances, displayed the very
best in Australian support for each other and solidarity.
They are an inspiration to the rest of the Australian community. The Golden Wattle Award is
recognition of their courage and resilience during the recent flood events and
the recovery that is still ongoing. Read more...
The 30 Anniversary of National Wattle Day was celebrated at Government House where the 60-strong Instrumental Music Program Choir, conducted by Katharine Finlayson, performed a short program that included Her Excellency's wattle song. If you want to learn the words and music click here
Governor-General David Hurley, Wattle Day Association president Dr Suzette Searle, Linda Hurley and Instrumental Music Program choir members Maya Tynan-Foster and Alborz Arabzadeh. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong
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Tiny tree planter with her Dad at the Australian National Botanic Gardens. You're never too young to plant a Golden Wattle. Photo: Courtesy AFP via Getty Images |
Nic Ciccone (National Arboretum Canberra) with the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha) that he planted this year.
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From north to south and west to east, Australia's cities and towns light up in yellow and green for National Wattle Day.
Ask your local council to light up its local bridges, monuments, fountains, and sculptures for Thursday 1 September 2022.
Townsville, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Launceston, Hobart, Perth and Bunbury joined in last year.
Let us know if your are lighting up this year for National Wattle Day. Just email the President of the Wattle Day Association Inc.
Story Bridge across the Brisbane River Qld
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Government House in Paddington Brisbane lit up for National Wattle Day |
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National Carillon Canberra Photo: Courtesy Professor Robert Care |
Matagarup Bridge Perth Photo: Courtesy Main Roads WA |