Monday 2nd June – WA Day
Western Australia (WA) Day is held on the first Monday in June each year and is a state holiday only. It commemorates the foundation of the Swan River Colony near Perth by European settlers in 1829, although sightings and landings occurred as far back as 1616. Originally Albany, on the south coast, was to be the capital of WA but better resources for shipping and farming were found on the Swan River so Perth became the capital.
WA Day was previously known as Foundation Day but, to recognise the Aboriginal people as the original owners of the land, the name was changed in April 2012.
WA was settled as a free colony, unlike some other parts of Australia like New South Wales and Port Arthur. It was the only British colony in Australia established with land grants to settlers. The settlers were given land in proportion to the quantity of people and goods they brought to the colony and were only given the full title to their land when it had been improved enough to be considered established and sustaining.
Events on the weekend of the public holiday include the WA Day Plate, a horse-racing event on the Saturday at Belmont Park; the WA Citizen of the Year Award for categories like Youth, Community, Business, Arts etc; and community BBQs around the state sponsored by local businesses.
Tuesday 3rd June – Staff PD Aboriginal Cultural Immersion Program
