Be a Part of History This Australia Day

Canberra, 

Australia Day celebrations in Canberra, the national capital of Australia, provide the perfect opportunity to celebrate our nation's history and delve into the stories that form our national identity.

Get your family and friends together on the eve of Australia Day and head to Australia Celebrates Live - a national tribute to everything that is great about Australia. Held on the lawns of Parliament House, the free concert will this year offer live music, a special live event show to pay tribute to 100 years of ANZAC and honour the outgoing Australians of the Year, and the live announcement of the 2015 Australian of the Year Awards.

Following the announcement of our newest Australians of the Year, kick-start your Australia Day celebrations with an amazing live concert featuring some of Australia's best loved performers including Paul Kelly, Jessica Mauboy, Sheppard and Canberra's own Drawing North. Gather friends and family, pack a picnic, wear something green or gold, and head to the lawns of Parliament House to reserve your spot and settle in for an evening of great Australian music.

Following local Australia Day celebrations, explore the National Museum of Australia, a social history museum that has joined with Twitter and the National Australia Day Council to create a digital snapshot of our national day in 2015.

No matter where you are or how you are celebrating, you can be part of history by taking a photo and using the hashtag #AustraliaDay on Twitter. The National Museum is curating tweets again from 26 and 27 January 2015 on the Australia Day Your Way website, with a time capsule from each year to create a permanent collection of images representing our national day in Australia and across the world.

The Australia Day Your Way 2014 Twitter Time Capsule is currently on display at the Museum. While there you can also see the new Australian of the Year exhibition, which pays tribute to the eight extraordinary finalists chosen for the Australian of the Year Awards 2015. Also on 26 January and inspired by the exhibition Spirited: Australia's Horse Story, A Spirited Australia Day at the National Museum of Australia celebrates Australia Day and all things horse. There will be country music, boot scooting, horse rides, puppet shows, traditional demonstrations, craft and much more.

Come face to face with the famous, the infamous and the sometimes forgotten icons of Australian history, from the distant past to the absolute present, at the National Portrait Gallery. This year you can take your friends to the gallery for drinks, a barbecue, vintage games, fashion and entertainment at the Australia Day Hottest 100 Party.

Discover treasures from the Australian War Memorial's archives in the Australia in the Great War exhibition in the new First World War Galleries; visit the home of Australia's National Art Collection, the National Gallery of Australia, which has more than 165,000 works and includes Australia's largest collection of Indigenous Australian artwork; and celebrate the spirit of democracy at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House through collections, events, exhibitions and special programs.

Book now for the Australia Day Cocktail Cruise on Lake Burley Griffin and celebrate Australia Day with a bang. Experience Canberra's stunning fireworks from a privileged position aboard the M.V. Southern Cross, along with a sumptuous range of canapés, cocktails and drinks.

There's no better way to end Australia Day with your family and friends than by enjoying the Australia Day Fireworks Spectacular on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin.