Australia Day in the context of Reconciliation in Australia

An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a military occupation, or after a major change in government. Many countries commemorate their independence from a colonial empire.

Not all countries mark independence as a national holiday. Many, such as Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, New Zealand, Ireland, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, and Turkey mark other dates of significance.

Sydney Cove (Eora: Warrane) is a bay on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, one of several harbours in Port Jackson, on the coast of Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney Cove is a focal point for community celebrations, due to its central Sydney location between the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Sydney Cove was the site of the First Fleet's landing on 26 January 1788 and the subsequent raising of the Union Jack, a seminal date in Australian history now marked as Australia Day.

Marrong Reserve, also called Pemulwuy Lookout and Ridgeline Reserve, is a nature reserve, an urban park and a recreational lookout situated in Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. J-shaped, the reserve is located approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) kilometers west of the Parramatta, and 33 kilometres (21 mi) north-west of the Sydney CBD. Due to its cultural and historic landscape importance, Mar-Rong Reserve was added to the NSW State Heritage Register on 17 October 2003. The reserve is visited for walking, exercising, natural scenery, picturesque views, birdwatching, ball games, and bush tucker.

Mostly aligned with Daruga Avenue at Pemulwuy and stretching to Lower Prospect Canal Reserve in the south, the reserve features a panoramic viewpoint that provides views of the Sydney skyline and the Blue Mountains. It is a popular vantage point for the New Year's Eve and Australia Day fireworks. Educational and interpretive information is present within the Reserve. Much of the reserve, excluding the parkland areas, is categorised as Natural Area-Bushland. Marrong Reserve and Prospect Hill are closely connected as a ridge, but are separated at a saddle by Butu Wargun Drive. The reserve features three precincts, which run from north to south: Marrong Reserve North, Marrong Reserve 'Saddle Bund' and Marrong Reserve South.

The 2019 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrations at the start of January and were officially announced in The London Gazette at 22:30 on 28 December 2018. Australia, an independent Realm, has a separate honours system and its first honours of the year, the 2019 Australia Day Honours, coincide with Australia Day on 26 January.

The recipients of honours are displayed as they were styled before their new honour and arranged by the country whose ministers advised The Queen on the appointments, then by the honour and by the honour's grade (e.g. Knight/Dame Grand Cross, Knight/Dame Commander etc.), and then by divisions (i.e. Civil, Diplomatic, and Military), as appropriate.