An Australian nationalist community group is planning a new Australia Day event in Melbourne after Victoria’s left-wing Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed she had no plans to reinstate the city’s annual parade.
The National Workers Alliance (NWA) announced earlier this week they were planning their own Australia Day celebration opposite the Melbourne Park main entrance of Rod Laver Arena, which is hosting the Australian Open final on January 26.
The Australian Open scrapped its Australia Day celebrations for the second straight year in 2024, and while organisers claimed earlier this month they would commit to some this year, details are yet to be released.
“If the Victorian government and Australian Open won’t recognise Australia Day, we will,” a flyer for the NWA event states. From 4pm there will be speeches on national identity, immigration and the cost-of-living crisis, and demographics and crime rates.
Noticer News understands organisers are expecting about 1,000 attendees.
The Battle for Australia Day 2025 π¦πΊ pic.twitter.com/YeI2Kg8KbA
β Blair Cottrell (@b_cottrell89) January 13, 2025
Melbourne’s annual Australia Day parade was first cancelled by then-premier Daniel Andrews in late 2020. The Labor government cited Covid-19 as the reason, but allowed the Melbourne Cricket Ground to host the Boxing Day Test with 30,000 spectators.
Ms Allan’s office confirmed last month that the parade would not be returning in 2025, and said in a statement: “We also recognise that January 26 means different things to different people.
βOn this day, we encourage conversation and reflection on the different meanings of the day for all Victorians.”
A poll from the Institute of Public Affairs has since shown that 69% of Australians want Australian Day celebrated on January 26, up from 63% last year.
Nationalist activist Blair Cottrell revealed earlier this week he would be attending the event, saying it was important for Australians to openly celebrate their national identity.
“It marks who we are, and where we came from,” he said in a video posted on X and Telegram.
“That’s exactly why they’re trying to cancel it. It’s part of a psychological disarmament, to stop us, the Australians, from fighting back. If they’re allowed to continue cancelling our national holidays and deleting our history, they’ll delete us too.
“We have to fight back, so, this year, outside Rod Laver Arena, bring your family, bring your mates, bring your flags. Let’s keep the Australian identity alive.”
Header image: Left, a flyer for the Australia Day event. Right, Premier Jacinta Allan panders to aboriginal people (Facebook).
