How NSW celebrated Australia Day in scorching heat
They turned up wearing green and gold zinc, waving Australian flags and, in some case, wearing them — on hats, boardshorts and bikinis. If there was a theme for Australia Day 2019, it was one of mateship and unity, under a blazing sun.
They turned up wearing green and gold zinc, waving Australian flags and, in some case, wearing them — on hats, boardshorts and bikinis.
If there was a theme for the day, it was one of mateship and unity, under a blazing sun.
Across Australia, 16,212 men, women and children became citizens in 365 ceremonies.
Andres Grigaliunas, 48, who was born in Colombia and now lives in Lane Cove, was kitted out in green and gold and beaming with pride for his adopted country at a concert in Darling Harbour thrown by The Wiggles.
“I moved to Australia in 2000 but I’ve just returned from two years in Colombia and it’s such a delight to be back,” Mr Grigaliunas said.
The marine biologist, who turned up with his daughter Juliana, 5, gushed about the life ahead of her in a “land of opportunity”.
“In Australia you can walk on the streets without fear, kids can run around in the park without any problems and I don’t have to check in with my wife every 30 minutes when she’s out to dinner to make sure she’s safe,” he said.
But there were also reminders of the pain January 26 causes many Aboriginal Australians. At Hyde Park in the Sydney CBD more than 1000 people braved the extreme heat to gather from 11am near the Anzac memorial to protest Australia Day.
Scott Morrison also had history on his mind. The Prime Minister attended an Australia Day citizenship ceremony and flag raising event in Canberra before flying to the Richmond RAAF Base to visit the graves of his convict ancestors in Windsor. He said the story of the nation was about striving together.
“The story of Australia is not the story of a land mass,” he said. “It is the story of a living, breathing, good-hearted people making the best choices we can, but always striving to be even better.”
On one of the hottest Australia Days on record, finding a way to stay cool was a major focus. In far western NSW, temperatures hit 46C.
In Sydney, tens of thousands flocked to the beach as the mercury soared to more than 30C on the coast, while in the western suburbs they sought refuge from temperatures of 40C in swimming pools and airconditioned shopping centres.
Six-year-old Bella Whittlesea from Castle Hill found another way to stay cool as she watched The Wiggles add new meaning to their hit Hot Potato at Darling Harbour.
“It’s so hot I’ve been filling up my hat with water and quickly putting it on my head,” she said.
Emergency services had their work cut out, with one woman treated for heat exhaustion while climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge.
She was brought down after being treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital in a stable condition.
In the bush, it was all about finding a waterhole or river.
Tamworth Country Music Festivalgoer Luke Black brought his own pool. “It was so hot, so we went and bought pools,” the Newcastle resident said from his campsite. “Mates and beer is Australia Day for me.”
Tamworth teenagers Braydyn Finlay and Damon Osborne cooled down in a local watering hole called Paradise.
“It is too hot to be anywhere else,” Finlay, 18, said. “We are just chilling out down here. It’s nice to come down for a swim, sometimes I go fishing here.”
The raising of the Australian and Aboriginal flags over Sydney Harbour Bridge marked the start of formalities, as indigenous 2012 X-Factor runner-up Jason Owen sang the national anthem in English and Sydney’s main Aboriginal language, Eora, to the crowd.
Hundreds packed into Barangaroo Reserve were earlier treated to a stirring performance by Australia’s best-known Aboriginal singer Christine Anu and her daughter, Zipporah Corser-Anu.
Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council chair Yvonne Weldon delivered a welcome to country, in which she called Australia Day “survival day”.
“It is right to stop, reflect and declare the atrocities that have happened on this land — not out of guilt, but to listen, learn, share and come together,” she said.
Event programs were used as fans as, at 8.30am, city temperatures reached 28C with the sun bursting over the Cahill Expressway.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Governor David Hurley both spoke about the importance of learning about Aboriginal culture to fully embrace the shared history of white and indigenous Australia.
Ms Berejiklian said it was appropriate on Australia Day to “renew our commitment to working to protect, respect and celebrate this beautiful culture”.
Thousands braved the soaring heat at Parramatta Park to see 1500 people officially become new citizens of Australia.
Shuang Li, 30, from Telopea, was among those who braved the hot conditions, waiting patiently for her boyfriend to become an Australian citizen.
“We’ve been here since about 8.30. We’ve been looking forward to this day since a few weeks ago when we received the email from the government,” she said.
The finale of a talent contest titled Parravision stopped crowds in their tracks as they watched the acts perform, with grand final winner Jordan Richards — who wrote and composed her own song — later performing it at the Sydney Opera House.
“I’m over the moon, I wasn’t expecting it,” she said.
In Cronulla, locals Bec Walker and her friends declared Australia Day as the best day of the year.
The group settled in early at Blackwoods Beach with flags, beach balls and a picnic.
“I love Australia Day, everyone gets the day off, everyone’s happy and celebrating,” Ms Walker said.
“It brings everyone together.”
NRL legend Beau Ryan got to see Sydney from a 747 as night changed to day after arriving home from a flying trip to the United States at dawn on Australia Day.
“I just got back this morning from LA,” Ryan said.
The proud Shire resident took his daughter Remi to Shelly Beach Kiosk for a cool slurpee.
The Shire Vibes festival featuring Christine Anu, Thirsty Merc frontman Rai Thistlethwayte and opera singer Mark Vincent is now an annual tradition for many families, who come together in their best Aussie flag gear for hours of free live music against the backdrop of Cronulla Beach.
A pair of neighbours’ decision to attend the festival in 2015 has become a four-year tradition uniting the Dobosz, Evers, O’Brian and Sakamoto families.
They spend the day swimming, eating and enjoying live music together.
Kylie Chapman-Farrow and Larissa Meline are so dedicated to securing prime position they set up a tarp in front of the Shire Vibes stage at 9pm the night before the festival.
“We come here every year,” Ms Meline said. “We started a few years ago and now all of our friends come along with us.”
Melissa Mullens took a dip at Shelley Beach — complete with Australian flag cowboy hat and kangaroo earrings — in a patriotic effort to stay sun-safe in the midday heat.
“I wasn’t going to go for a swim because I’m a beauty therapist and it’s really important to protect your skin,” Ms Mullens said. “But it’s hot today and we really wanted to celebrate Australia Day so I left my hat on when I swam.”
As it got even hotter, handheld fans that spray water mist became the salvation of many revellers.
On the Harbour foreshore hundreds gathered for a view of RAAF jets and tall ships.
At Watsons Bay a race of a different kind was underway as pooches and their owners competed in the Everyman And His Dog Paddleboard event.
There was Hulk the German Shepherd wearing a nightie in an attempt to portray the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood and Brydie the red kelpie dressed as a Minion.
And they were poised like tightly wound coils on the shores of the Bay waiting for the orders to jump on the stand-up paddle boards. About 20 dogs took part in heats with it soon becoming apparent that the smaller yappy types had a weight advantage over their larger counterparts.
The combination of dogs, costumes and a paddleboard race didn’t make much sense. But on this day, it didn’t have to.
“This is a unique Australian experience,” Wentworth MP Dr Kerryn Phelps said over the microphone as tension mounted on the starting line.
One lap of the bay in front of Watsons Bay Wharf, around the buoy and the first to the sand with their pooch was the winner.
Beyond that there were few rules, except for one reminder from the announcer: “Keep your dogs on a leash, please.”
The mood was less formal on Sydney Harbour, where the aptly named vessel Express took out the annual Ferrython race, surrounded by hundreds of spectator boats.
The blazing heat and blue skies of 2019 Australia Day’s formal entertainment ended with a lighting and fireworks display at Circular Quay to a classic Australian soundtrack.
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