[a] Under the command of Naval Captain Arthur Phillip, the fleet sought to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay on the coast of New South Wales, which had been explored and claimed by Lieutenant James Cook in 1770.

[citation needed] On 25 January the gale was still blowing; the fleet tried to leave Botany Bay, but only HMS Supply made it out, carrying Arthur Phillip, Philip Gidley King, some marines and about 40 convicts; they anchored in Sydney Cove in the afternoon.

Despite these difficulties, all the remaining ships finally managed to clear Botany Bay and sail to Sydney Cove on 26 January.

Then, according to Phillip's account:[21] In the evening of the 26th the colours were displayed on shore, and the Governor, with several of his principal officers and others, assembled round the flag-staff, drank the king's health, and success to the settlement, with all that display of form which on such occasions is esteemed propitious, because it enlivens the spirits, and fills the imagination with pleasing presages.The formal establishment of the Colony of New South Wales did not however occur on 26 January as is commonly assumed.

[27] The 1808 celebrations followed this pattern, beginning at sunset on 25 January and lasting into the night, the chief toast of the occasion being Major George Johnston.

Johnston had the honour of being the first officer ashore from the First Fleet, having been carried from the landing boat on the back of convict James Ruse.

Despite suffering the ill-effects of a fall from his gig on the way home to Annandale, Johnston led the officers of the New South Wales Corps in arresting Governor William Bligh on the following day, 26 January 1808, in what became known as the "Rum Rebellion".

[5] In 1817 The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser reported on one of these unofficial gatherings at the home of Isaac Nichols: On Monday the 27th ult.

[29] The governor declared that the day would be a holiday for all government workers, granting each an extra allowance of "one pound [450 grams] of fresh meat", and ordered a 30-gun salute at Dawes Point – one for each year that the colony had existed.

[26] Foundation Day, as it was known at the time, continued to be officially celebrated in New South Wales, and in doing so became connected with sporting events.

[26] In describing the dinner, the Sydney Herald justified the decision, saying: The parties who associated themselves under the title of "United Australians" have been censured for adopting a principle of exclusiveness.

The "Australians" had a perfect right to dine together if they wished it, and no one has a right to complain.The following year, 1838, was the 50th anniversary of the founding of the colony, and as part of the celebrations Australia's first public holiday was declared.

At midday 50 guns were fired from Dawes' Battery as the Royal Standard was raised, and in the evening rockets and other fireworks lit the sky.

In Tasmania, Regatta Day occurred initially in December to mark the anniversary of the landing of Abel Tasman.

[26] The decision to mark the occasion of the First Fleet's arrival in 1788 at Sydney Cove and Captain Arthur Phillip's proclamation of British sovereignty over the eastern continent on 26 January was first made outside New South Wales by the Australian Natives' Association (ANA), a group of white "native-born" middle-class men formed in Victoria in 1871.

In 1915, Ellen "Ellie" Wharton Kirke MBE, née Clements, mother of four servicemen, thought up the idea of a national day, with the specific aim of raising funds for wounded soldiers,[38] and the term was coined to stir up patriotic feelings.

[46] The Commonwealth and state governments agreed to unify the celebrations on 26 January as "Australia Day" in 1946,[47] although the public holiday was instead taken on the Monday closest to the anniversary.

[44] In 1988, the celebration of 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet was organised on a large scale as the Australian Bicentenary, with many significant events taking place in all major cities.

A re-enactment of the arrival of the First Fleet took place in Sydney Harbour, with ships that had sailed from Portsmouth a year earlier taking part.

[52] Research conducted in 2007 reported that 28% of Australians polled attended an organised Australia Day event and a further 26% celebrated with family and friends.

[53] This reflected the results of an earlier research project where 66% of respondents anticipated that they would actively celebrate Australia Day 2005.

In Adelaide, the key celebrations are "Australia Day in the City" which is a parade, concert and fireworks display held in Elder Park, with a new outdoor art installation in 2019 designed to acknowledge, remember and recognise Aboriginal people who have contributed to the community.

[56] Featuring the People's March and the Voyages Concert, Melbourne's events[57] focus strongly on the celebration of multiculturalism.

There are no large-scale re-enactments and the national leader's participation is focused largely on events such as the Australian of the Year Awards announcement and Citizenship Ceremonies.

[68] In 1888, prior to the first centennial anniversary of the First Fleet landing on 26 January 1788, New South Wales premier Henry Parkes was asked about inclusion of Aboriginal people in the celebrations.

[46] At the bicentennial celebrations in 1988, large gathering of Aboriginal people in Sydney led an "Invasion Day" commemoration marking the loss of Indigenous culture.

[78] Polling by Essential Media since 2015 suggested that the number of people celebrating Australia Day was declining, indicating a shift in attitudes.

[81] A December 2024 Institute of Public Affairs poll that asked if Australia Day should be celebrated on 26 January found 69% said that it should be.