Australia Day is celebrated on the twenty-sixth day of January and marks the day in 1788 when Captain Arthur Phillip arrived in Botany Bay to found the colony of New South Wales, and became its first Governor.

It is a day when Australians gather in every part of each state and territory of the Commonwealth, and overseas, to celebrate what is truly great about Australia and being Australian.

It is a day when we reflect on what we have achieved and what we can be proud of in our free and democratic nation.

It is a day to celebrate our cultural diversity and to acknowledge the contribution of both indigenous Australians and those who have come from more than 150 countries to make Australia their home.

In the UK, it is also a day to recognise the benefits we have gained from our British heritage and appreciate the close links that are retained between our nations.