Culture of Australia - Public Holidays

Public Holidays

Australia's calendar of public holiday festivals begins with New Year's Day. This is also the day upon which the Australian Federation officially came in to being, however the national day, Australia Day, is celebrated on 26 January, which was the date of the official foundation of the first British colony at Sydney in 1788, an important beginning in modern Australian immigrant history. Anzac Day, 25 April is another day strongly associated with Australian nationhood, however it more particularly commemorates Australians who fought in wars and is named to honour the soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who landed at Gallipoli, on that same day in 1915, during the First World War.

The Christian festivals of Easter and Christmas are public holidays in Australia. Christmas Day, 25 December, falls during the Southern Hemisphere summer.

Labour Day is also a public holiday, but on different days throughout the nation. The Queen's Birthday is generally observed on the second Monday in June, except in Western Australia, where it usually is observed in September or October to move it away from Western Australia Day (formerly Foundation Day). On the Queen's Birthday holiday, as on Australia Day, national awards are distributed to distinguished citizens for services to the community.