Celebration of African Australians NSW takes 26th Jan Australia Day picnic to Coogee Beach

It was all glamour as the Celebration of African Australians NSW hosted the national Australia Day festivities on January 26th at Coogee beach.

For the second time in a row, the organisation brought together revellers from all walks of life to celebrate the day under the theme Reflect, Respect, Celebrate.

"This was fantastic meeting people from different backgrounds. I loved the vibe, the food and the BBq." Natongo Patience remarked.

The day started with various people talking about their unique cultures, sharing and teaching words in their local languages and some teaching others their traditional dances. The climax for the day was entertainment from various youth groups that attended at Coogee beach.

This year, Celebration of African Austraians targeted the youths, giving them an opportunity to showcase in a day enabling them to reflect on what it means to be Australian, to celebrate contemporary Australia and to acknowledge Australia's history.

On 26th January, in all corners of the nation, Australians come together at hundreds of events hosted by councils and local community groups to reflect, respect and celebrate with their communities.

"Australia Day is about so much more than the events of one day – it is about where we have come from, who we are as a nation and what we aspire to be. January 26 is an important date in Australia's history that has evolved over time." Statement from the Australia Day Council website.

"We are improving every year that we host the event. The interest is growing in our community especially among the youngsters. We expect the next Australia Day event to be bigger and better in January 2027." Celebration of African Australians state coordinator Ronnie Kakaire revealed.