Swanston Street in Melbourne’s CBD will be hosting this year’s Australia Day Parade, with the streets set to be occupied by thousands of spectators.
Australia Day commemorates the arrival of the first British fleet on 26th January 1978 on Australian soil in Port Jackson. The event not only celebrates Australian history but also the diversity of individuals that now live in the country.
After the flag raising ceremony takes place between 10:30am to 11am on Swanston Street, the procession will begin. The parade will commence from Melbourne Town Hall and traverse down Swanston Street to St Kilda Road. It will run for about 45 minutes.
The parade consists of various community and cultural groups. As part of their efforts to stand out at events such as this, organisations often use banner printing to create colourful materials. Parade participants usually also dress up in their cultural attire to distinguish themselves from other individuals in the parade.
Swanston Street and St Kilda Road will be blocked off for cars and for some tram routes due to heavy pedestrian traffic. As such, the best way to get to Melbourne Town Hall will be on foot or by train to Flinders Street train station.
The Australia Day Parade will be held on January 26th from 11am to 11:45am. This will be followed by numerous Australia Day celebrations across the city.
