Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove where the Union Jack was raised by Arthur Phillip following exploration of Botany Bay to the south.
The British Australian Community invites everyone of all ages, members and non-members, to participate in the annual Australia Day Picture Contest. The aim is to celebrate and remember this foundational event in a light-hearted way. Taking pictures and videos in historically meaningful places is a good way to tap into the history and magnificent achievements of our ancestors who, just over 230 years ago, travelled from the other side of the world to found a colony that would become the Australian nation.
That is not to diminish the hard work and pioneering determination needed to make our amazing nation, nor the other contributions by Aborigines and migrants from outside the British Isles. But the First Fleet has tremendous symbolic importance to the founding of the historic Australian nation and its distinctive culture and identity.
How can you win the competition?
The winning picture or short video will be the funniest, most informative, best costumed, or with the most spectacular or beautiful backdrop. The point is to make the submission relevant to patriotic Australian identity, culture and heritage.
How can you enter?
Entry is open from 16 January 2023 to 12 noon on 27 January 2023. Judging will take place on 28 January and the winner will be announced on 31 January 2023.
Only digital submissions via e-mail will be accepted.
Photos (still images) can be sent in any popular format as e-mail attachments.
Short videos should be made expressly for the competition. They must be sent as links to a popular platform. In other words, entrants need to post their videos on YouTube, Odysee or another platform, then send the link to the BAC.
Include with your entry your name, contact details, and a completed Consent form.
The Consent form can be downloaded (as a Word document) HERE. Via the form, participants give permission for the BAC to publish and share their creative work.
Email your entry to: vp@britishaustraliancommunity.com.au
(Entrants’ faces do not need to be shown if there is a concern about privacy. Be sure to make your picture or video publishable as it is submitted. The BAC is unable to undertake any editing.)
What is the prize?
The main prize is to have your picture or video declared the winner and given a prominent place on the BAC website. The winner and runner-up will also receive a letter of commendation from the BAC President.
Judging
The submissions will be judged by the current sitting President and shared by the BAC on our website. In other words, all entries will be published; all will make a contribution to the educational value of the competition.
Some tips about themes
It is important to be creative and use your imagination and humour. The First Fleet and the early colonial period are the broad criteria for inclusion. Benign or fraught interactions with Aborigines or Torres Strait Islanders are relevant. The challenges faced by women and convicts are also acceptable. The result might be:
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- A picture or short video of yourself in front of a memorial. Don’t be shy to wear period dress or read from a contemporary proclamation;
- A re-enactment of the landing at Port Jackson (on any body of water including a swimming pool or bathtub) will have the judge’s favour;
- Children playing the roles of Arthur Phillip or marines or convicts or Aborigines are almost guaranteed a place. Other possibilities are pictures of historical locations with a flag, a historical building, and/or you or your family in period dress, or even your car flying a British-Isles flag. There really are a great many possibilities.
- For inspiration, watch the recent video The History of the English Speaking Peoples, brilliantly scripted by the late Alan James who was a longstanding BAC member.
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Any questions?
Please contact: vp@britishaustraliancommunity.com.au