When I was young I always regretted that I wasn’t born a day earlier, on Australia Day. When I was a teenager and learned the history of white settlement and what that had meant, and still means, to Aboriginal people, my regrets disappeared. Today I can appreciate Australia Day for what it means in the sense of acknowledging the freedom we have to celebrate a modern, democratic state free of war and fear while still remembering the past and seeking to make the future one of inclusion, acceptance and opportunity for everyone on these shores.

With that in mind, here are some images of what it means to be an Australian on January 26. Happy Australia Day to everyone!

Feel free to add your own “Australia Day means … ” comment below.

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Australia Day means… taking the time to learn from our elders.

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Australia Day means … having a bit of fun – Cockroach World Championships.

 

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Australia day means … enjoying the freedom of running down a sand dune.

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Australia Day means … waving a flag, whatever that might be.

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Australia Day means … the opportunity to walk a dog on a pier with friends at sunset with no guns, no fear, no danger.

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Australia Day means … the companionship of friends, wherever that may be.

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Australia Day means … enjoying the bounty of this amazing country.

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Australia Day means … embracing our beaches, our waves and its pursuits.

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Australia Day means … a bit of backyard cricket.

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Australia Day means … getting out in the great outdoors.

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Australia Day means … sharing our country with other species.

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Australia Day means … respecting the land and the benefits we reap from it if treated right.

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Australia Day means … remembering the past and those that have sacrificed their lives for our freedoms.

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Australia Day means … respecting nature and all its fury, beauty and wonder.

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Australia Day means … remembering and recognising the sacredness of this land for the first Australians.

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Australia Day means… appreciating beauty in every day life.

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All images are purchasable through the Visited Planet database. Feel free to email Jo at [email protected] with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com