FATHER’S DAY In Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September, which is the first Sunday of spring in Australia. Most families present fathers with gifts and cards, and share a meal. It is not a public holiday. The idea of Father’s Day wasn’t initially well received in Australia in the 1910s and 1920s. Many thought it was either unnecessary or undermined a father’s assumed “supremacy” as head of the household. Newspapers at the time printed satirical poems and critical editorials of the new American tradition. Father’s Day was originally observed in June, matching the USA date, with church services and the wearing of a red flower. In June 1925, Janet Heyden of Sydney (who also advocated for Mother’s Day celebrations in Australia) began collecting donations to bring cheer to elderly men in nursing homes. While Mother’s Day became instantly popular, it wasn’t until the 1930s that Father’s Day came to be popularly celebrated in Australia on the first Sunday in September. The Father’s Day Council of Australia was established in 1957 and continues to honor distinguished fathers with an annual Australian Father of the Year award. Father’s Day traditions in Australia include school crafts with handmade gifts and cards from younger children, taking dad out for lunch, BBQs, and outdoor family activities. Public schools often hold a Father’s Day gift stall with inexpensive presents for fathers, grandfathers, carers, or other role-models~
4 September 2022
