Australia Day speech template (Australia)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
Australia Day is held on 26 January, the anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788 and the establishment of a British settlement there. It is a national public holiday. Many councils hold citizenship ceremonies and local awards, and the Australian of the Year is announced on the eve of the day. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the date is a day of mourning, and many Australians now treat it as a time to reflect.
- Date
- January 26
- Next dates
- Tuesday 26 January 2027
Wednesday 26 January 2028
Friday 26 January 2029 - Country
- Australia
- Tone
- Reflective
- Typical events
- Council citizenship ceremonies, community awards breakfasts, school and workplace gatherings, Australian embassy receptions abroad, and community events opened with an Acknowledgement of Country.
- Length
- 199 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The Australia Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- WELCOME1 / 4
Good morning, everyone, and welcome. My name is {Your name}. I begin by acknowledging the {Nation} people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we meet today, and I pay my respects to their Elders past and present. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here. - A DAY TO REFLECT2 / 4
On 26 January 1788, the First Fleet arrived at Sydney Cove and a British settlement was established. For many Australians, today is a celebration. For many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, it is a day of mourning, and of survival. We come together with respect for all of these perspectives, and for the country we share. - COMMUNITY AWARDS3 / 4
Every community is shaped by people who quietly give their time to others. It's my pleasure to invite {Presenter, title} to present this year's {Award name}.
[AWARD PRESENTATIONS – APPLAUSE]
Congratulations to all our recipients, and thank you for everything you do for this community. - ANTHEM AND CLOSING4 / 4
Please stand for our national anthem, Advance Australia Fair.
[NATIONAL ANTHEM]
Thank you. Please take your seats. Do stay for morning tea, meet our award recipients and talk with your neighbours. Whatever this day means to you, thank you for spending part of it here, together, with respect for one another.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- 26 January is a day of mourning for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Keep the language inclusive, avoid triumphal wording, and consider inviting a local Elder to give a Welcome to Country.
- Only Traditional Custodians can give a Welcome to Country; anyone can give an Acknowledgement of Country, as in the first card. Ask your council or Land Council for the correct name of the local people and how to pronounce it.
- The words of Advance Australia Fair were changed from 1 January 2021. Make sure the lyrics printed or shown on screen are the current version.
- If your event includes a citizenship ceremony, it must follow the official ceremonies code and be led by an authorised presiding officer, so ask your council for its running sheet.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: Convict cargo | National Museum of Australia, Reconciliation - Australia Day. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More Australia speech templates
- ANZAC Day · April 25