Colorful, Cultural Australia Day in Melbourne

I’ve never seen so many different ethnic groups wearing their country’s traditional dress at one time as I witnessed yesterday in Melbourne as part of the 2016 Australia Day celebrations.

More than 100 community and cultural groups participated in the annual Australia Day parade, which started in the CBD and went down St. Kilda Road. January 26th marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the first fleet of British ships into New South Wales and the raising of the British flag by then Governor Arthur Phillip. The day also has multiple meanings for some, Survival Day or Invasion Day, as the Europeans took over the land from the Aboriginals – not too different from the U.S. situation either, I might add.

Anyway, I was so thrilled I took the time to see the parade because it was fantastic! I loved seeing all the traditional outfits from China to Thailand as well as Latvia, Macedonia, Sicily and the Black Sea region of Turkey.

I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I did taking them!

Which one is your favorite photo?

These six fighter jets flew over the park after the parade.

Young girls from Bangladesh.

So here's the Turkish flag and the lovely group from the Black Sea region. They responded cheerfully to my Turkish "Merhaba" to them. 

The colorful Chinese dragon followed by the Chinese women below.

Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, is a high-level cultivation system from China, based on ancient principles such as Truthfulness and Benevolence. 

The Melbourne Indonesian Community

Japanese families celebrated too in this photo and below.

 

Latvian group in Melbourne

Cheerful ladies from Macedonia

The Friendship Australian/Egyptian Assn. in Melbourne.

Melbourne Lithuanian Community

Mexican Dance Company in Melbourne

Bring on the Scottish bagpipes!

Italian ladies from Sicily

Smiles from Thailand

Ukrainian children in traditional dress

Locals in Victorian-era costumes

Of course, why wouldn't Darth Vadar and Storm Troopers attend the parade?