Celebrating Australia Day in Bayside
There are always plenty of things to do in Melbourne on Australia Day, but you needn’t go into the city to catch the best of them. C&G brings you Bayside’s top family friendly events, and with the weather forecasted as mostly sunny, it’s a great day to get involved with the community and celebrate our beautiful nation.
Swimland Great Australia Day Swim
Bayside City Council and the Brighton Rotary Club present a fun day of swimming and entertainment at Middle Brighton Pier along the Esplanade. With five competitive swims on the day, you need not have registered to attend as there will be several open events new in 2016, along with food stalls, entertainment and competitions welcoming one and all.
Luna Park in St Kilda invites Melbournites to bring their overseas friends down to the Esplanade for rides, snow cones and snags. There will also be free face-painting, stilt walkers, BBQs and Australian music all day. The park will be open from 11am to 11pm.
Melbourne Showboat – Australia Day Cruise
The Lady Cutler (Melbourne Showboat) will be cruising from Docklands through to Williamstown, Port Melbourne and St Kilda Beach this Australia Day. Watch the sun go down aboard a harbor cruise, and enjoy the sounds of R&B, House and Latin with three different DJs providing entertainment. There will be a BBQ aboard, with vegetarian options also available. Tickets are $25 for one adult and $15 for a child, with discounts applying for RACV members, and can be found here.
Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony 2016
From 9.30am, Bayside City Council will be presenting the flag raising ceremony, citizenship ceremony and announcement of the Australia Day Citizens of the Year for 2016. Admission is free, and the program can be found here.
Feeling like a quiet family day? Half Moon Bay in Blackrock is a secluded beach with a vibrant maritime history. Go for a walk along the paved foot paths lining the bay and spot the real life shipwreck of the HMVS Cerberus not far from the shore. The waters are calm, so take a swim before enjoying some fish and chips from the delectable Cerberus Beach House kiosk.