Join us for a casual 'meet & greet' event in Wattle Park to celebrate Wattle Day.
As well as being the official start of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, the 1st of September is a day of celebration in Australia, known as National Wattle Day. Spring is a time when many wattles (acacias) are blossoming, and people wear a sprig of the flowers and leaves to celebrate the day. Although the national floral emblem of Australia is a particular species, called the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha), any wattle can be worn to celebrate the day. Wattle is seen as a unique, and quintessential, Australian symbol.
- Location: Bellyett Reserve, Wattle Park SA 5066
- Date: Sunday, 1st September 2019
- Time: 11am - 11:30am
- Bring: any trackables for discovery or swapping, food and drink
- Wear: if you feel like getting in the spirit, wear a sprig of wattle.
If you plan on coming along, please log a 'Will Attend'.
⬆️ Look for the Golden Wattle Flag at the event! ⬆️
Everyone is welcome, and we look forward to meeting many local and visiting geocachers!
Further reading: The Golden Wattle Flag - Why the Wattle? and the Wattle Day Association.
As well as being the official start of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere, the 1st of September is a day of celebration in Australia, known as National Wattle Day. Wattle Day has been celebrated since the early 1900's (with origins dating back to the early 1800’s). In 1992, it was declared that "1 September in each year shall be observed as 'National Wattle Day' throughout Australia and in the external Territories of Australia".
Spring is a time when many wattles (acacias) are blossoming, and people often wear a sprig of the flowers and leaves to celebrate the day. Although the national floral emblem of Australia is a particular species, called the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha), any wattle can be worn to celebrate the day. Wattle is seen as a unique and quintessential Australian symbol.
Perhaps Dr Rod Panter summed it up best when he wrote in 1997 that: "Wattle and Wattle Day can symbolise virtually anything we want, but they relate generally to Spring, being Australian, the Australian environment, and history. Spring has many positive values such as optimism, bounty and abundance, reliability, colour, new life and so on. We can celebrate our 'Australianness' on Wattle Day in quite a different way from ANZAC Day, which in recalling past wars glorifies Australian qualities of courage and mateship. Wattle Day, by contrast, looks forward (to Spring) and can celebrate the nation's undoubted qualities of good humour, fairness, generosity, informality and democracy."
Prior to the announcement of Groundspeak's 'Where in the World is Signal The Frog®?' Australia Day 2018 promotion, the first Wattle Day event was held in New York City [Manhattan NY] in 2017. The geocaching community has since embraced Wattle Day and it’s spread like 'wildfire'.
For a full list of Wattle Day events, visit the official global bookmark list.
Further reading: The Golden Wattle Flag - Why the Wattle? and the Wattle Day Association.
Happy Wattle (Wadanguli) Day,