Australia celebrates Australia Day 2009

January 28, 2009

All around Australia, ordinary people have celebrated Australia Day. Australia Day, on January 26 each year, is commemorated as Invasion Day by many indigenous Australians. In 2009, it coincided with Lunar New Year, celebrated by many Asian cultures.

Thousands party in Sydney
Thousands of people have celebrated Australia Day with barbecues, concerts and boat races. Police expected half a million people to flock to the Hyde Park and the Harbour.

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Flags of all nations symbolise unity at Melbourne parade
Melbourne's Australia Day Parade was a multicultural event with many ethnic groups marching. Notably absent was the city's Vietnamese community, who chose to celebrate the Lunar New Year independently.

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Thousands turn out for "dunny race" as arrests mar Sunshine Coast Australia Day
From 4:30 pm local time, police in Queensland's Sunshine Coast received calls from residents about loud drunken parties. Police arrested at least five people in a Noosaville park with another unit needing backup at Gympie Terrace (Noosa).

But, it was not all bad news for Sunshine Coast residents as thousands showed up to watch the "dunny races" at Aussie World. The crowd cheered as the final got under way. Maroochy Roos Australian Football team won.

A dunny race is contested by four people pushing an outhouse, an outdoors toilet, on wheels.

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South Africa win Limited Overs International, Series
South Africa defeated Australia in their Limited Overs International in Adelaide, wrapping up the series of five cricket matches in the process. Batting first, Australia were all out for 222 runs off 48 overs. South Africa easily made the 223 target with more than 11 overs left.

"Once again, as has happened in the first three games, we lost wickets in a clump in the middle of the innings," Australian captain Ricky Ponting said. The match's highest scoring batsman was AB de Villiers with 82 runs not out.

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