Australia Day has kicked off with millions of residents celebrating the national holiday across the country.
The long weekend has become a hot topic of debate with many calling for the date to be changed out of respect for the Aboriginal community.

Follow Daily Mail Australia’s live coverage of the national holiday.
Albo roasted over Australia Day post
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese sparked outrage on Sunday night with an Australia Day tweet.
He began the national public holiday in Canberra but later travelled to Sydney to attend the Australia Day concert on the Opera House foreshore.
‘Happy Australia Day everyone!’ he posted at 8.36pm, along with several photos of the Sydney celebrations.
The tweet quicked divided Aussies with many refusing to return the sentiment.
‘It’s almost 9pm why are you wishing us Happy Australia Day now?’ one woman fumed.
Another added: ‘Bit late. It’s almost over.’
A third wrote: ‘Why do you hate Australia so much?’
The tweet also attracted messages from well-wishers.
‘On behalf of every Australian, we love you mate. Thank you for fixing the cost of living crisis. Absolute legend, we will vote for you again,’ one supporter wrote.
Anti-Australia Day protesters who stormed the Melbourne CBD, prompting police to shut down the city have issued a stern message to patriotic Aussies who celebrated January 26.
Self-proclaimed Invasion Day ‘war organiser’ Caroline Kell urged Aussies who commemorated the national public holiday on Sunday to reconsider ‘exactly what they’re celebrating’.
Ms Kell, a Mbarbarun mob woman, made the comments moments before thousands of ‘Invasion Day’ activists converged on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House to begin the march, where they taunted cops with ‘f— the police’ chants.
She had some advice for Aussies who enjoyed celebrating Australia Day.
‘I would ask them to look inside themselves,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘This day is not just an Aboriginal history, it’s their collective histories and how they have to come to be here in this place that they call home so I would ask them to first look within and think about what exactly are you celebrating.
Wild melee between Australia Day revellers at popular beachside spot
Peter Dutton tells Aussies to ‘proudly’ celebrate Australia Day
Opposition leader Peter Dutton told Australians they ‘shouldn’t be afraid’ of celebrating Australia Day in a video shared on social media.
Mr Dutton posted the clip shortly before midday, declaring Aussies have ‘won the lottery of life, and we have every reason to be patriotic and proud’.
‘Australia Day is a celebration of the greatest country in the world, and we shouldn’t be afraid of celebrating it,’ he said.
‘The defining achievement has been the weaving together of the Indigenous, British and migrant threads of our story.
‘Being an Australian is a celebration of our shared values, our respect for democracy, our love of family and our commitment to giving back.
‘Today, we welcome our newest citizens into this story. I want to congratulate each of you on this special milestone.
‘To be an Australian is to have won the lottery of life.We have every reason to be patriotic and proud today.
‘Let’s celebrate the achievement of Australia, under one flag. From my family to yours, have a very happy Australia Day.’
However, not everyone was happy with Mr Dutton’s message.
‘You have to win the lottery to be able to afford to live in Australia,’ one commented.
Another added: ‘You have only won the lottery in Australia if you already own a house. Everybody who came later drew the short straw.’
Mr Dutton earlier came under fire from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for not attending Australia Day celebrations in Canberra.
He instead spent the national public holiday in his hometown of Brisbane, where he welcomed new Aussies at a citizenship ceremony in his electorate of Dickson.
‘To all new citizens—thank you for choosing to call Australia home and for adding to the story of our nation. Together, we’ll continue to build on the legacy we’ve inherited,’ Mr Dutton said.
Anti-Australia Day protest numbers fall dramatically in two major cities
In previous years, Invasion Day rallies – organised to protest against Australia Day – in Sydney often attracted around 15,000 marchers.
But this year, the NSW Police estimate the number fell by almost 50 per cent to around 8,000.
In Brisbane, the numbers were also way down, with the Courier-Mail reporting the protest barely went beyond the Queens Gardens – a far cry from the tens of thousands of protesters it previously attracted.
Only Australia’s protest capital – Melbourne – lived up to expectations, with the 30,000 attendees forecast by the organisers seeming to have been achieved.
But despite the steep fall in protester numbers in some cities and towns, that doesn’t seem to have been replaced by patriotic fervour.
Despite polls showing a resurgence of enthusiasm for celebrating Australia Day on January 26 there was little overt patriotism on display at Sydney’s Bondi Beach even compared to just a few years prior.
The only visible nod to the national day were a couple of men wearing Aussie flag caps or T-shirts and the occasional temporary tattoo.
This contrasts to photos from 2022 showing a different scene altogether, with many women donning Australian bikinis and hats, while others even draped themselves in the national flag.
Numbers attending the protest rally in Sydney (pictured) were down on previous years.
The numbers attending the Brisbane rally (pictured) were also down.
Only in Melbourne (rally attendee pictured) did the numbers hold up.
Though people flocked on Bondi Beach (pictured) on Sunday, very few were waving Australian flags or wearing flag bikinis.
Invasion Day pictures from Sydney and Melbourne
Protesters are pictured marching towards Victoria Park during an Invasion Day rally in Sydney on Sunday.
A man is pictured holding an Aboriginal flag at a protest outside Parliament House in Melbourne.
A crowd watches an Indigenous smoking ceremony on Sunday in Melbourne.
Some of the tens of thousands of Invasion Day protesters who took part in a rally in Melbourne are pictured.
Demonstrators are pictured unfurling a banner calling for a treaty with Indigenous Australians.
Protesters are pictured on the annual Invasion Day march in Sydney on Sunday, January 26.
After shock vandalism to other Cook statues, the Captain finally gets some love in Sydney
Statues of Captain Cook have come in for a difficult time over recent years around the country, especially around Australia Day.
The monument of the famed British is located was vandalised before the anti-colonial protests that follwed over the weekend.
But on Sunday, some fans of the Captain gathered in Hyde Park in Sydney’s CBD to pay homage to him.
One man dressed as Cook and waved a large Australian flag in front of the huge statue of his hero.
He was joined by others in period gear, and some in modern clothing too, for a picnic on the grass to celebrate Captain James Cook and Australia Day.
Daily Mail Australia’s David Southwell writes: Around a dozen people, some dressing as colonials from the era of Australia’s settlement and one man as Captain Cook himself gathered for a picnic in Sydney’s Hyde Park to mark the national day.
The group with laid out an inviting spread on a blanket in front of Cook’s statue and heard some ‘wild tales from the colonies’, which were stories from the early days of Australia’s European occupation.
Group spokeperson Dana Pham said the event was a throwback to her childhood in the 1980s.
‘I remember growing up with Australia Day picnics and Australia Day events, you would see lots of them on the day,’ Ms Pham said.
‘In the past decade they are becoming less and less frequent. I can see the City of Sydney still have Australia Day banners on the side of the road, that’s good to see, but it is becoming a more and more subdued event.’
Ms Pham said people ‘had a right to protest but I think having more picnics is a good idea’.
‘Celebrate doesn’t mean not acknowledging mistakes,’ she said. ‘Everyone is human, mistakes happen.
‘You celebrate what is good, you acknowledge the bad things but why would you want to dwell on the bad things You are just filled with anger.’
She said after the group set up at about 2pm they were approached by City of Syndey ranger who looked alternatively confused and concerned but ultimately left the event be.
‘He had a look,’ Ms Pham said. ‘Maybe he was annoyed about the Australian flags we have temporarily planted in the ground but it’s just bamboo sticks’.
Otherwise Ms Pham said the reaction from onlookers had been positive.
‘People walking by are curious. If this was 10 or 20 years ago I don’t think people would be curious they would be like “oh, it’s Australia, of course there are going to flags and people having community events.
‘But now it sticks out.’
On Friday, a statue of Captain Cook (pictured) was vandalised in Sydney.
Campaigners and sport stars recognised in Australia Day honours list
From Indigenous rights advocates to domestic violence campaigners, winemakers and Olympic champions, Australians from all walks of life have been recognised in the Australia Day Honours List.
The 2025 list featured 457 recipients – 243 men and 213 women – aged from 14 to 98.
Constitutional lawyer Megan Davis was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), the nation’s highest civilian honour, for her service to law and Indigenous people.
She was among six recipients of the honour, alongside infectious diseases expert Allen Cheuk-Seng Cheng, High Court Justice James Edelman, arts patron Lyn Williams, human rights advocate Gillian Triggs and the late Indigenous land rights activist Galarrwuy Yunupingu.
Professor Davis said it was ‘incredibly moving’ to be named in the same company as Mr Yunupingu and one of her idols – native title proponent and previous recipient Lowitja O’Donoghue.
‘(Dr O’Donoghue) was an extraordinary woman to watch and to witness as a female leader in a really male environment,’ Prof Davis said.
‘They are giants of the movement. It’s really humbling to be in that company.’
Water safety pioneer Laurie Lawrence was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), which also recognised his work as Australia’s swimming coach at three Olympics.
Other Olympic champions from Australia’s recent campaign in Paris have also been honoured, with pole vaulter Nina Kennedy, BMX rider Saya Sakakibara, swimmer Cameron McEvoy and skateboarder Arisa Trew each awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Late Liberal Party stalwart and former defence minister Kevin Andrews was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), with other political figures such as former Northern Territory chief minister Denis Burke (AM) and former attorney-general Duncan Kerr (AO) also on the list.
Domestic violence campaigners Suzanne and Lloyd Clarke said they were beyond humbled to receive an OAM.
The couple’s daughter Hannah, 31, and her three children were murdered in 2020 after their car was set alight by her estranged husband, which led to a national debate about domestic violence.
‘It’s a lot of mixed emotions that come with the award and we hope Hannah would be proud of us too,’ Mrs Clarke told AAP.
Other AM recipients included Ross Matthews Brown, the executive director of the Brown Family Wine Group.
Governor-General Sam Mostyn said the recipients in the honours list represented the best qualities of Australians.
‘To read recipient stories is to be reminded that contribution to communities across the country, underpinned by care, kindness, respect and love is what matters most to all Australians, in every sphere of life,’ she said. – AAP
Megan Davis is pictured. She was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia, the nation’s highest civilian honour, on Sunday
Invasion Day demonstrations in pictures
Invasion Day rally in Sydney
Thousands of people attended an Invasion Day rally at Belmore Park in Sydney.
Demonstrators waved the Aboriginal flag as well as placards to protest against Australia Day.
Anthony Albanese takes aim at Peter Dutton for snubbing major event
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was ‘disappointed’ Opposition leader Peter Dutton was nowhere to be seen at the Australia Day ceremony in Canberra.
‘They should be bipartisan, and I attended every year as opposition leader here at the Australia Day events, and I attended the Australian of the Year Awards as well when I was invited,’ he said.
‘This is an inspirational day, here on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin, and last night – it is one of the best events that anyone could ever go to.
‘Why wouldn’t you participate in national events if you want to be a national leader?’
Mr Dutton is understood to be in his homestate of Queensland.
Alleged neo-Nazis disrupt Survival Day rally
A group of alleged neo-Nazi’s have disrupted a ‘Survival Day’ rally in Adelaide with police making several arrests.
It’s understood an activist march due to end at the South Australian capital’s Victoria Square was delayed due to he prescence of the counter-protesters.
Members of the National Socialist Network, one of Australia’s largest neo-Nazi groups, were seen dressed in black and waving the Australian flag.
A police spokesperson told the Adelaide Advertiser that ‘a number of arrests have been made’.
When the publication asked if those arrested were neo-Nazis, police said they were ‘unrelated’ to the Survival Day march.
‘The individuals are in the process of being charged and more details will be provided when known,’ the spokesperson said.
The clash comes following a peaceful start to the morning when locals visited Tarntanya Wama (Elder Park) for a smoking ceremony.
The annual Mourning in Morning attracted a crowd of 3,000 people.
Director of Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Kirstie Parker was the master of the ceremony.
‘This morning’s event has been categorised in a lot of ways, but the one that sits with me is unity and reflection,’ she said.
‘It’s also an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, First Nations people to say simply, staunchly and unapologetically and proudly that we are still here and we always will be.’
Former prime minister Tony Abbott praises arrival of First Fleet to Australia
Tony Abbott delivered a citizenship speech in the south-western Sydney suburb of Liverpool on Sunday, in which he defend the legacy of the First Fleet.
The former prime minister, who himself was born in the UK, said that ‘Unlike those who were born here, you have voted with your feet for this country’.
‘I think that says something wonderful about you. It shows great judgment on your part. I think it says something wonderful about us that you are the latest of the millions of people who over the last 200 years, have chosen to make Australia their home.’
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Abbott said: ‘On that first Australia Day, January the 26th 1788, as Governor Philip and his officers hoisted the flag and toasted the king, they weren’t bringing something alien.
‘They were bringing the foundations of modern Australia. Democracy, the rule of law, minority rights and scientific progress, all of which has contributed to the great country we are today, all of which indeed is at the heart of the great country we are today.’
Deputy Opposition leader compares First Fleet that arrived in Australia to Elon Musk’s plan to build a colony on Mars
Sussan Ley has used her Australia Day speech in the regional city of Albury, NSW to compare the First Fleet to Elon Musk’s plan to colonise Mars.
‘All those years ago, those ships did not arrive, as some would have you believe, as invaders, the Deputy Opposision leader told the crowd in St Matthew’s Anglican Church in her electorate of Farrer.
‘They did not come to destroy or to pillage.
‘In what could be compared to Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s efforts to build a new colony on Mars, men in boats arrived on the edge of the known world to embark on that new experiment.
‘A new experiment and a new society.
‘And just like astronauts arriving on Mars, those first settlers would be confronted with a different and strange world, full of danger, adventure and potential,’ the keen flyer said.
‘We need to reject what those mobs are saying today through their loudspeakers and their iPhones.
‘The problem with those activists is they are so fixated with projecting themselves as survivors, that they leave no room for us to come together as citizens.
‘And history shows us strong and successful societies are not made up of survivors, they are built and maintained by citizens.
‘So we have to stand up against what those people are peddling today. We should be proud of being Australian and our Australia Day.’
Sydney’s Bondi Beach packed with revellers on Australia Day
The offensive three-word chant inflaming tensions at 30,000-strong Invasion Day rally in Melbourne with police forced to shut down city icon – as protests erupt across the nation
Anti-Australia Day protesters have been chanting ‘F*** the police’ at a rally in Melbourne on Sunday, as similar rallies take place in cities and towns across the country.
Mounted police in Melbourne are on standby amid the chants as the crowd number passes 20,000 and parts of the city are brought to a standstill, with shops shut or having police protection outside them.
The police have even had to block off the Flinders Street train station area in the CBD.
This truck driver was forced to wait out the disruption, while many CBD businesses closed their doors.
Many shops have been shuttered on Swanston St, one of Melbourne’s most vibrant strips.
A Melbourne CBD McDonalds still had its doors open, but it was being protected by a line of police officers.
The police have placed the historic Flinders Street Station precinct in Melbourne’s CBD in lockdown.
Swanston Streer in Melbourne’s CBD is jam packed all the way back to Bourke Street.
Melbourne police get ready as march from Parliament House begins
The Invasion Day protest in Melbourne is heading towards Swanston Street and Bourke Street Mall in the CBD.
Supporters gather for Invasion Day rally in Brisbane CBD
Indigenous Australians and supporters have gathered in Brisbane’s city centre for an Invasion Day protest to counter Australia Day on Sunday.
Anthony Albanese’s message at citizenship ceremony: ‘We all belong to the same proud story’
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attended a citizenship ceremony in Canberra on Sunday.
‘Today, in our big cities and country towns, at beaches and backyard barbecues, and in over 280 ceremonies like this one, we celebrate everything that brings Australia together and everything that sets our nation apart from the world,’ he said.
‘We look back on all that we have built together and all that we have learned from each other.
‘And we look to the future with the optimism and determination that the Australian people bring to the life of our nation, each and every day.
‘We all belong to the same proud story. We are all part of a nation built by hope and hard work, aspiration and determination.
‘A democracy where every citizen counts themselves equal.
‘A society where your character counts for more than your name, where your hard work matters more than where you come from.’
Some 15,000 people will be attending one of the 280 citizenship ceremonies being held across the country.
NSW Premier and Governor speak at Indigenous event in Sydney amid road closures
Huge crowd converges on Parliament House In Melbourne to protest Australia Day
A massive crowd has gathered at the state parliament in Melbourne to protest against Australia Day, with many carrying banners calling for the day to be abolished.
Adelaide smoking ceremony kicks off
Elder Uncle Moogy Sumner is pictured giving a Welcome to Kaurna Country during the 2025 Mourning in the Morning Smoking Ceremony at Elder Park/Tarntanya Wama on Sunday in Adelaide.
Premier of South Australia Peter Malinauskas (2nd right) is pictured at the 2025 Mourning in the Morning Smoking Ceremony at Elder Park.
Businesses shut on Melbourne’s main shopping precinct in expectation of trouble
Paul Shapiro writes, from Melbourne: ‘Businesses along the Bourke St protest route, which is usually a bustling CBD precinct on Sundays, have closed down after police issued a warning 30,000 protesters were expected.
‘The businesses include the iconic Pellegrini’s Espresso Bar and a 7 Eleven with a notice saying “store closed for temporary cleaning” in what would be the first time in decades a 7 Eleven has closed even for a minute in Melbourne.’
Indigenous theatre group perform smoking ceremony in Sydney
Burrundi Theatre for Performing Arts performers have posed for photos during the smoking ceremony at WugulOra sand circle on Sunday in Sydney.
WugulOra means ‘one mob’ and represents all Indigenous cultures.
Huge sign at Invasion Day rally that cops are preparing for trouble
The surest sign that the police are prepared for trouble today in Melbourne is the sheer size of the vehicle they have on stand by to hold anybody they need to quickly remove from the scene, and the buses used to ferry the police to the protest frontline.
‘Police have the motor running on a back up van while Highway Patrol have roads closed at Albert and Spring St and Bourke and Exhibition St,’ Paul Shapiro writes.
‘Tram routes 86 and the key 96 tram route from Brunswick to St Kilda have been closed at the St Vincent Hospital stop.’
There are four small police vans which can haul 4-6 people each and two big one wagons that can hold 8-12 people each.
So, there are vehicles on the scene with the capacity to haul up to 48 unruly agitators away, if necessary.
In a statement earlier this week, Victoria Police said it had ‘been extensively planning for Australia Day and the associated community events and rallies.
‘We’re well prepared for all major events and will have a highly visible presence throughout the entire CBD to ensure they can occur safely.
‘General duties police will be supported by the Mounted Branch, Highway Patrol, Bike Patrol Unit, Public Order Response Team, Transit police and PSOs throughout the day and night.
‘There will be a number of traffic management points in place across the city so we ask that people be patient, plan their journey and allow extra travel time.’
30,000-strong crowd expected at Invasion Day rally
Daily Mail Australia’s Paul Shapiro is reporting from the streets of Melbourne on Sunday.
He says there is a strong police presence, with about 100 officers where he is, but it’s quiet so far, so they don’t have a whole lot to do.
‘There are pockets of pro-Palestinian and “invasion day” protesters setting up,’ he said.
Overall, around 3,000 people have gathered so far, but organisers say they are expecting 30,000.
There are no agitators on the scene, a pro-Australia day protest has been organised for the front of the arts centre but not that many are expected at that.
Triple J’s Hottest 100 was announced yesterday, and as usual it caused a kerfuffle. You can’t please all the people all of the time, so the national ‘youth’ broadcaster gets the blame again.
Let us know in the comments who you think should have come out on top of Triple J’s annual list.
Another superb story by Stephen Gibbs, explaining what many people don’t fully understand.
In case you missed this one yesterday, here it is again.
Footy star Neale Daniher’s powerful pre-recorded acceptance speech as he wins Australian of the Year for his fight against a debilitating disease
Former footy great Neale Daniher, whose brave and very public battle against motor neurone disease has raised more than $100million to help find a cure, has been named the 2025 Australian of the Year.
Gina Rinehart will celebrate Australia Day surrounded by family in Washington DC before attending an exclusive soiree in honour of one of the nation’s greatest sporting exports.
Some more images from Australia Day morning, 2025
Indigenous Australians were called ‘blacks’ and ‘natives’ at the time of white settlement and over the past two centuries have been subjected to far more racist labels.
Some pictures from Australia Day 2025
Sam Newman’s astonishing act of disrespect during ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ ceremony
Sam Newman has been accused of an astonishing act of disrespect during an ‘Acknowledgement of Country’ in Victoria.
The former Footy Show host and AFL great was among the guests at an Australia Day function at the state’s Government House on Wednesday.
According to another guest at the event, when governor of Victoria Margaret Gardner began an Acknowledgment of Country, Newman could be seen turning his back and heading for the exit.

Shocking images show why many Aussies are not celebrating the national holiday
Australia Day, called ‘Invasion Day’ by Indigenous Australians, its January 26 date and the festivities held on the day are increasingly a point of division in Australian society.
January 26 marks the day of the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and the raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip, the colony’s first governor.

Australia Day ‘dawn service’ kicks off
A ‘dawn service’ was held in the eastern suburbs on Sunday to mark Australia Day.
Waverley Council – which incorporates the well-heeled eastern suburbs of Bondi, Bronte, Rose Bay, Tamarama and Dover Heights – announced earlier it will feature ‘cultural expression from local Knowledge Holders and artists’ at sunrise on January 26.
The council said the event was to ‘acknowledge the resilience and survival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their continuous connection to Country and culture as the Traditional Custodians of this land’.
Military Cross recipient Michael von Berg told Daily Mail Australia the notion of a dawn service was deeply linked to ANZAC Day and that it was an ‘ambush’ from council ‘sticking it to veterans and all those who have fallen protecting this country’.
