Australia Day 2025: Australians and tourists alike get prepared for festivities

[Pelican Press 0]

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Australia Day 2025: Australians and tourists alike get prepared for festivities

For many West Australians sun, sea, sand and snags will among their top priorities on Sunday.

With a beautiful sunny day predicted in Perth, people will gather to celebrate the lucky country on Australia Day — whether they were born here, have made it their home or are just paying it a visit.

The day is usually filled with friends followed by fireworks for Orla O’Doherty and her family.

“We generally go to the beach, but we’ve got friends who’ve just moved to Mandurah so we’re going to head down there just for a little change,” Ms O’Doherty said.

“We normally just go to Watermans Bay or somewhere like that.”

Camera IconPerth residents and visitors prepare to celebrate Australia Day 2025. Orla O’Doherty, Aisling O’Doherty, Roisin O’Doherty and Jennifer Newman. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West ***********

She moved to Australia more than 15 years ago from Cork in Ireland and said that ever since she had tried to celebrate the national day.

“We’ve always celebrated it, it’s a bank holiday as well so everyone’s off,” Ms O’Doherty said.

“We always do something really ***********, like sun, beach and water.

“We love Australia, we’re very grateful to be here and thankful and bringing up *********** kids.”

While Perth has battled a heatwave through the week, Sunday is expected to offer a brief reprieve from the extreme heat with temperatures predicted to sit around 30C.

For European tourists Philip Pertl from Austria and Thomas Buraas from Norway the warmth is a welcome change from the frosty conditions at this time of year in their home countries.

They said they knew Australia Day as a day of celebrations, parties and good vibes.

“We’re going to watch the fireworks in Perth city, so checking out everything and enjoying the views,” Mr Pertl said.

“It’s really nice coming from an Austrian winter where we’ve got -5C to -10C right now.

“It’s quite the difference, but really nice to have summer.”

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Camera IconThomas Buraas and Philip Pertl are enjoying the warm weather for Australia Day. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West ***********

The duo said they would start off having a barbecue at a friend’s house in Como followed by going into the city and then going out for some drinks afterwards.

Australia Day always means citizenship ceremonies around the State.

Victoria Rose, a tourist from the *** who is over here staying with family, said she’ll be spending the day celebrating with her friend who is getting her citizenship on Sunday.

“She’s having the ceremony, and then we’re going to go and celebrate at the after party,” Ms Rose said.

“We’re looking forward to that very much.”

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Camera IconVictoria Rose and Theo Billington, 5. Credit: Kelsey Reid/The West ***********

Her relative Laura Billington has lived in Australia for 11 years and plans to go for a 10km run before spending the rest of the day with family.

“I’m a teacher, so for me Australia Day just means the end of the holidays,” she said.

“We’ve gone to see the fireworks in the past, but since we’ve had kids it’s just nice to spend the day together.”

Ms Billington said she appreciated the day to celebrate the country.

“I like the fact that we have a holiday, in England we don’t have that public holiday to celebrate the nation,” she said.

“I do understand the contentions of the day, but obviously Federation happens on the first of January and that’s a public holiday that gives you the natural choice.

“I get the idea around moving the day, I just think maybe WA Day should move so that we get better weather.”

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