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Australia Day

American

noun

a legal holiday in Australia, the first Monday after January 25, commemorating the landing of the British in 1788.

Australia Day British

noun

a public holiday in Australia, commemorating the landing of the British in 1788: observed on the first Monday after Jan 26

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Thousands rallied for Indigenous peoples' rights on Australia's national holiday, Australia Day, which marks the 1788 arrival of a British fleet in Sydney Harbour.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

In Adelaide, an Australia Day parade and light show have been cancelled due to the extreme heat forecast.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

Australia Day is a national holiday that is held each year on 26 January - the anniversary of Britain's First Fleet landing at Sydney Cove in 1788.

From BBC • Jan. 23, 2025

Coastal Queensland is popular with holidaymakers and tourists, but the wild weather caused problems for the Australia Day holiday Friday as a number of campgrounds were forced to close.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 25, 2024

Anniversary Day: Mentioned in the text, is now known as Australia Day.

From Joe Wilson and His Mates by Lawson, Henry

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023