Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has marked Australia Day with a call for national unity, describing the occasion as a powerful reminder of why Australia remains “the best country on earth”.
As millions of Australians celebrated with citizenship ceremonies, barbecues and community events, PM Albanese highlighted the importance of welcoming new citizens into what he called the Australian family.
Speaking ahead of the national holiday, PM Albanese said Australia Day offered a chance to reflect on shared values and common bonds. He noted that Australians are united whether they are citizens by birth or by choice, whether their ancestors have cared for the land for tens of thousands of years or they are pledging their loyalty to Australia for the first time.
Across the country, about 18,000 people were expected to become Australian citizens on January 26, hailing from nations including India, New Zealand, Turkey, the United States, Nigeria, Malaysia, Nepal and the United Kingdom.
In Canberra, the centrepiece of celebrations was the National Citizenship and Flag Raising Ceremony on Lake Burley Griffin. The event, attended by the Prime Minister, Governor-General Sam Mostyn and the Australian of the Year recipients, featured a helicopter flypast, a bomber fly-over and a 21-gun salute.
Following the official proceedings, crowds gathered at Regatta Point for a free public celebration, including a barbecue, live music and entertainment.
PM Albanese told new citizens that becoming Australian carried both privilege and responsibility, saying the citizenship pledge reflected the country’s respect for common humanity. He thanked those who had chosen to embrace Australia’s values and democratic traditions.
Governor-General Mostyn also welcomed the new Australians, telling them the country was now their home, and the home of their children and future generations. She said Australia’s values were now theirs, just as their personal stories had become part of the nation’s evolving story.
Ms Mostyn said many new citizens were drawn to Australia by its stable democracy and its values of acceptance, freedom, unity and kindness, describing the nation’s democratic system as one admired around the world. She acknowledged the foundations of Australia’s modern democracy in the world’s oldest continuing cultures, its institutions of government and decades of multicultural migration.
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