Celebrate Australia Day 2018
Australia Day is celebrated each year on the anniversary of the first fleet from Britain landing in Sydney Cove. In 2018, Australia Day will be on Friday January 26, creating a long weekend. Many Australians consider January 26 with national pride, flying the Australian flag from businesses, homes, cars and even their children! They attend festivals, fireworks, community and sporting events or gather for family barbecues at homes, parks or on the beach.
This year, Signal the Frog is visiting the Southern Hemisphere for Australia Day 2018 and geocachers worldwide will be gathering at local events to celebrate and join the festivities. It also presents an opportunity to earn the Australia Day 2018 souvenir just for attending an event over the holiday weekend.
To celebrate this year’s 230th anniversary, why not join us in the communal area of the north side EuroGarages Monmouth Services in the Old South Wales in respect of those in New South Wales.
Where: Eastbound A40 Monmouth Services (EuroGarages) seating area
When: Friday 26th January 2018
Time: 6.00pm – 7.00pm
The Location . . . this recently re-opened Services boasts several establishments to purchase refreshments, but since it is far quieter than the services heading deeper into Wales, there is plenty of vacant seating for us to meet. If you are not already acquainted with us, just look out for the Ozzie flags, the kangaroo and the geocachers sporting hats with corks! Just pop along and say G’day!
There is some parking at the front of the service station, but there is plenty of space behind the establishment – and it is closer to the local geocache if you haven’t already found it. The parking is free for up to 2 hours.
The History Bit . . . As a nation, Australia had a painful start. Under British rule it was initially intended as a penal colony. The ruling classes in 18th century England considered criminals to be incapable of rehabilitation. Their method of reprimand was to segregate convicts from the general population.
In January 1786, Arthur Phillip was appointed captain of the HMS Sirius, and assigned to transport British convicts to the continent. His mission was to establish an agricultural work camp. Captain Phillip commanded a fleet of 11 ships and 1,500 passengers, including 700 prisoners. Once all assembled, the fleet set sail and after an 8-month journey, the First Fleet of 11 ships sailed into Botany Bay to set up a penal colony there, but the bay proved to be unsuitable.
Captain Phillip took a team north and named the area on the south shore of Port Jackson as Sydney Cove. It was January 26, 1788 when the First Fleet landed in Sydney Cove. The formal establishment of the colony occurred two weeks later on February 7.
The first colony got off to a rocky beginning as the soil was poor and the settlers didn’t know how to farm. The settlement was on the verge of starvation for several years. However, under the able leadership of Captain Phillip, the people persevered. By 1792, when he returned to England, the outpost was prospering. As a sense of patriotism and pride developed, the people began to consider January 26 as their founding day. In 1818, January 26 was declared a legal holiday, marking the 30th anniversary of the British settlement in Australia.
Over the next 80 years, the population steadily increased, and five additional self-governing colonies were created. On January 1, 1901, all six colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia.