On this day in 1788, British colonists landed a motley crew of convicts from 11 ships to Australia’s Sydney Cove and raised the Union Flag on the shore, claiming British sovereignty.
The British had a long tradition of sailing their convicts to foreign lands to free up their in-country prisons. The Georgia region in the American colonies had been a fine place to take prisoners, until the American colonists began their pesky revolution. That’s when Australia became a lucrative penal destination. Between 1788 and 1868, more than 162,000 convicts were shipped from the U.K. to penal colonies in Australia. Most were guilty of petty crimes; some were political prisoners; all were sentenced to hard labor. Only about one in seven prisoners were women.
Sydney celebrates Australia Day with ferry races and a tall ships race. Adelaide celebrates with a parade, fireworks, cricket, and a concert. Others in Australia have named the holiday “Invasion Day” in contempt of the British occupation (much like Columbus Day in the U.S.) and for their disruption of more than 30,000 years of indigenous aboriginal culture.
Music Du Jour: Aussie Pop playlist
Films Du Jour: Here are some of the most notable Australian films…
Crocodile Dundee (1986)
The Adven⦁ t⦁ ures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Ba⦁ b⦁ e (1995)
Wo⦁ l⦁ f Creek (2005)
Au⦁ s⦁ tralia (2009)
Mad⦁ ⦁ Max (1979)
Mad Max: Fur⦁ y⦁ Road (2015)
Rabbit-Pr⦁ o⦁ of Fence (2002)
The C⦁ a⦁ stle (1997)
Moulin Ro⦁ u⦁ ge (2001)
Galli⦁ p⦁ oli (1981)
Miscellaneous:
⦁ Australia is famous for ⦁ venomous c⦁ r⦁ eatures
⦁ Adult ⦁ Aussie col⦁ o⦁ ring book
⦁ Australia’s ⦁ wine r⦁ e⦁ gions
Ta⦁ s⦁ mania has the cleanest air in the world
⦁ Australian Shepherds were first bred in the U.S. during the gold rush; Here are nine authentic ⦁ Australian do⦁ g⦁ breeds
⦁ How to ⦁ speak A⦁ u⦁ s⦁ tralian
⦁ Famous Australian actors⦁ ma⦁ l⦁ e and ⦁ fem⦁ a⦁ le
⦁ Rules for throwing an ⦁ authentic A⦁ u⦁ stralian BBQ
Steve I⦁ r⦁ win’s funeral was broadcast live and seen by over 300 million viewers
Cocktail Du Jour – Watermelon Spritz
This recipe was derived from Australia’s Delicious Magazine and especially designed for Australia Day.
⦁ 5 oz of freshly squeezed watermelon juice
⦁ 1 oz of lime juice
⦁ 1.5 oz chilled vodka
⦁ 3 oz of club soda
Shake vodka and juices in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a tall glass with ice and add soda. Garnish with two sprigs of mint, a lime wheel (rub lime once around the rim first), and a skewer with two pitted black olives and two cubes of feta cheese.
Mocktail Du Jour – Watermelon Spritz Mocktail
⦁ 5 oz of freshly squeezed watermelon juice
⦁ 1 oz of lime juice
⦁ 1.5 oz chilled ⦁ non-alco⦁ h⦁ olic ⦁ vodka
⦁ 3 oz of club soda
Shake non-alcoholic vodka and juices in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a tall glass with ice and add soda. Garnish with two sprigs of mint, a lime wheel (rub lime once around the rim first), and a skewer with two pitted black olives and two cubes of feta cheese.
Beer Du Jour
Foster’s Lager
Wine Du Jour
Aussie Pinot Gris or box wine if you prefer (down under they call it “GOON”)
Use freshly squeezed citrus in your cocktails and mocktails when called for – It makes such a difference! Here’s a reliable and inexpensive juicer.
Get the Beverage Du Jour blog by email so you always know when and how to celebrate with us.
Celebrated too hard? Find your personal hangover fix with our bestselling Amazon book Hangover Remedies from Around the World.
© 2023, The Beverage Du Jour, TRH Online, LLC. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
Photo credit: “Australia Day 2010” by Travis_Simon is licensed under CC BY 2.0
