Canberra celebrates with a concert and a free barbecue in the park. Last year we had a guest performance by the Wiggles, this year it was the considerably lower-budget (yet less controversial) Fireman Sam.
In their bookings the organisers had chosen a slightly odd way to celebrate Australia Day - the host of the event was a Kiwi and Fireman Sam (and Prime Minister Julia Gillard come to that) is Welsh.
Still it was a lovely setting and we enjoyed the Citizenship ceremony that followed. I always think Australia does things like this really well. I'm not really sure they could achieve days like this in the UK without them either becoming full of Daily Mail jingoism or watered down and rendered pointless through extreme amounts of political correctness.
Flag waving can become a tricky thing politically but on the whole it was really well handled during Australia Day and during the celebration things were excellently organised and presented.
That said the day was also the 40th anniversary of the Aboriginal tent embassy in Canberra and following rash comments by leader of the opposition Tony Abbot the day culminated in a bit of a punch up. Fortunately we'd long since left for home.
A meeting with Fireman Sam
free craft for the kids
Julia Gillard welcomes new Australian Citizens (wonder what happened to the hat in the melee?)
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