Thousands of Sydneysiders flocked to the beach to celebrate Australia Day by soaking up the sun and enjoying a balmy 31C day.
Men and women on Bondi Beach stripped down to bikinis and board shorts and jumped into the cooling waves or lazed about on the sun from the early morning.
Friends playfully pushed each other into the water while others stood on the rocks surveying the scene, or played with their children on the sand.
Friend playfully push each other into the water as the man appears to have not yet taken a dip as his shorts are dry
Thousands of Sydneysiders flocked to the beach to celebrate Australia Day by soaking up the sun and enjoying a balmy 31C day
A woman wades into the water off Bondi Beach, holding on to a railing to steady herself on the rocks
One couple even cuddled up on beach towels on the sand and locked lips while the celebrations carried on around them
One couple even cuddled up on beach towels on the sand and locked lips while the celebrations carried on around them.
So many parents brought their children that there was a long line of prams near the car park.
Just off the beach, a shirtless group of friends wearing Australian flags as capes and green and gold hats picked up a few cartons of beer from a bottle shop, and posed with the trolley.
The Bondi beachgoers were heeding the rallying call Scott Morrison made earlier in the morning when he urged all sectors of the community to unite for Australia Day.
This couple brought their dog to the beach to celebrate Australia Day together – but one is holding his phone perilously close to the water
Men and women on Bondi Beach stripped down to bikinis and board shorts and jumped into the cooling waves
An excited young woman poses with Australian flag- themed glasses and two flags sticking out of her hair, while another woman strikes a pose on the sand
Some beachgoers swam through the surf while others surveyed the scene from the rocks next to the water
A dad poses with his young daughter as they relax on the rocks next to the water with Bondi Beach in the background
So many parents brought their children that there was a long line of prams near the car park
The Prime Minister released a four-minute video message on Sunday acknowledging the challenges, but championing the benefits, of living Down Under.
‘Whether our families came here tens of thousands of years ago, generations ago as mine did on the First Fleet, or those who are taking citizenship for the first time today, we’re all together as one and we can all together be proud,’ he said.
He said Australians had a tough start to 2020, battling bushfires, drought and flood, but in the face of adversity, they adapt and thrive.
‘We are a free, diverse and accepting people. Our way is to see the humanity of others regardless of their ethnicity or disability or age, religion, gender, all these things. We accept and embrace people for who they are.
‘We are a people, as Australians, who prevail not through luck or chance or good fortune but by the efforts and intellect and willingness and determination to stand one with each other.’
Mr Morrison said Australians should use January 26 to ‘rededicate’ themselves to ‘this great land’.
Just off the beach, a shirtless group of friends wearing Australian flags as capes and green and gold hats picked up a few cartons of beer from a bottle shop, and posed with the trolley
Two of the men high-fived as they were happy to have got what they wanted from the shop for their party
They then walked off towards their celebration, pushing the trolley as their Australian flag capes fluttered in the breeze
‘That’s what we celebrate this Australia Day: families, friends, communities ancient and modern who stand by each other and have so selflessly served each other particularly during these recent times of great crisis.’
Mr Morrison wasn’t the only leader praising the spirit of Australians on its national day as the British royal family also sent their regards.
The Queen and Prince William made separate statements through their social media accounts early on Sunday, Australian time.
Both referenced the country’s bushfire crisis and praised Australians for how they were handling it.
‘Wishing you all a happy Australia Day! This Australia Day, we commend the incredible resilience and strength of the Australian people,’ The Queen’s read.
Her statement included a collage of four photos from her royal visits to Australia over the years.
Kensington Palace, which provides statements from Prince William and his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, was along the same lines.
‘This year we pay tribute to the incredible strength and resilience of all the Australian people and communities who have been impacted by the devastating bushfires,’ it read.
Numerous Australians were honoured to coincide with the national day, and thousands of immigrants were given Australian citizenship in ceremonies around the country.
Dr James Muecke was crowned the 2020 Australian of the Year for his work with preventing blindness and its links with type two diabetes.
A young woman grips the railing in one hand and her clothes in the other as she gazes out over the ocean
The waves splash against the rocks and railings as they come in over the many swimmers who headed to the beach
Men and women on Bondi Beach stripped down to bikinis and board shorts and jumped into the cooling waves or lazed about on the sun from the early morning.