Australia Day 2026: WA leaders say January 26 will take on extra significance in wake of Bondi massacres

WA leaders say this Australia Day will take on extra significance in the wake of the Bondi massacres, saying celebrating our way of life – the life our parents, grandparents and great grandparents so proudly protected – is particularly important. After Thursday’s National Day of Mourning — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese having told the Jewish community he was “deeply and profoundly sorry” for the anti-Semitic attack that claimed 15 lives at Bondi Beach and injured dozens more — the focus now turns to Australia Day. Former WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt summed up the thoughts of many, telling The Sunday Times: “This Australia Day is not a time for jingoism but a time to reflect on those ties that have made us the successful nation we are, to stand and declare determinedly that the darkness that drove the tragedy at Bondi, has no place in Australia.” Perth will celebrate Australia Day the way it has for years – with citizenship ceremonies throughout the city, officially welcoming its newest Australians, and Australia Day honours will also be announced in Canberra. Former WA Premier Richard Court said “this would be a very different Australia Day” in the wake of the terrorist attack. “People are incredibly proud of who we are, what we have achieved over many years. “And when people come to this country and take advantage of the generosity, the natural generosity that our culture offers, people say ‘enough is enough’. “We have so many freedoms. But with freedoms come responsibilities.” Police say community safety will be paramount on Australia Day. In Perth, a 30-minute drone and fireworks show starting at 8.30pm, will be a highlight. “Police continue to monitor individuals and groups who may pose a risk to public safety and will intervene where conduct becomes criminal or disorderly in nature,” a police spokesperson said. “A highly visible policing presence will be maintained at a number of locations to support safe and peaceful events for everyone. “While there is no intelligence to suggest any heightened threat in WA, these high visibility patrols are in place to provide reassurance and demonstrate our commitment to keeping the community safe and preventing harm.” A number of citizenship ceremonies are scheduled for the Greater Perth and regional areas on Monday’s Australia Day. Fremantle will not hold citizenship ceremonies on Australia out of respect for Indigenous Australians. “I understand that Australia Day can be difficult for some members of the community and now more than ever, it is important we treat others’ views with respect. That is what inclusivity is all about,” Premier Roger Cook said. He said the atrocities of December 14 “have changed us all”. “As we heal, Australia Day gives us the opportunity to reflect and focus on the best of our nation, the stories that inspire us, and our shared future that unites us,” Mr Cook said. “On Australia Day, as we welcome new citizens and celebrate the contributions of the most outstanding members of the community, I urge Western Australians to reflect on how we all play a part in building our communities, and ensuring they are safe, inclusive, and welcoming. “We can’t let hate win.” Former WA Governor and respected barrister Malcom McCusker AC said despite the atrocities of December 14, he still believed that the Australia that we so dearly loved and cherished had not been lost. “The atrocity at Bondi . . . when two Australian Muslims, inspired by an outlawed terrorist organization, ISIS, murdered 15 Australians and hospitalised over 30 wounded, was the culmination of a hate-filled series of attacks on the safety of person and property of Jewish Australians — from the despicable, outrageous anti-Semitic, hate-filled chants of a murderous mob at Sydney Opera House, celebrating the massacres and atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists against Jewish people in Israel on 7 October 2023, followed by a wave of unprecedented attacks and threats against Jewish Australians, caused many Australians to question whether our vision of Australia, united in its values, spoken of by our leaders in the past, had been lost, perhaps forever,” he said. “I do not believe that is so. “The many acts of selfless heroism by many Australians, Jewish and non-Jewish — including the gallant Australian Muslim, Ahmad Al Ahmad — at Bondi that day, the swelling of support for the victims and their families, the rush to volunteer help and donate blood, and the widespread support and pressure for a Royal Commission to address the cause of racial vilification and hate speech, show that most Australians do share the qualities spoken of so proudly by Bob Hawke and John Howard.” Former Premier Carmen Lawrence said the horror of the Bondi massacred “gives us a special cause this Australia Day to reflect carefully on who we are and what we value”. “We can reaffirm our commitment to peaceful settlement of our disagreements, to equality of all Australians regardless of who they are, to the embrace of generosity and neighbourliness and the repudiation of the politics of fear, hate and rage,” Dr Lawrence said. “We can encourage our leaders to see that their behaviour signals to the community – for good and for ill — what is valued and what is tolerated. “Australia Day should also be a time to celebrate the original inhabitants of this land and to acknowledge the violent upheaval to their way of life which began with the arrival of the first fleet.” And WA Opposition leader Basil Zempilas said this year, more than ever, Australians would reflect on how fortunate they were to live “in the best country on the planet”. What our leaders said about this year’s Australia Day Richard Court, former WA Premier. “It will be a very different Australia Day. “There will be a shift away from the debate about what day we should celebrate our wonderful country. “People are incredibly proud of who we are, what we have achieved over many years. “As a country, we don’t do massacres. “We don’t accept hate protests. “We are a very open and generous people, but certain groups have taken advantage of this and they’ve gone too far. “So, what you will see is a renewed interest in people realising that we are blessed in this country. “It is a wonderful country, with a wonderful lifestyle, great freedoms and some people have pushed the boundaries and taken advantage of us. “People coming to this country have worked hard to help develop this country. “And one of the reasons they come here is because it is a true democracy. “We have so many freedoms. “And when people come to this country and take advantage of the generosity, the natural generosity that our culture offers, people say ‘enough is enough’. “So, we don’t do hate protests every weekend, etc. “We have so many freedoms. But with freedoms come responsibilities. “Responsibilities to work as a team towards protecting the wonderful lifestyles and culture that we have in this country.” Former WA Treasurer Ben Wyatt: “All of my life I have lived with the privilege of being Australian, one of the most successful democracies on the planet. “This Australia Day is not a time for jingoism but a time to reflect on those ties that have made us the successful nation we are, to stand and declare determinedly that the darkness that drove the tragedy at Bondi, has no place in Australia. “This Australia Day I look to the generosity of my Jewish friends, who, despite so much evil, offer us all ‘One Mitzvah’, an act of kindness, of compassion – it seems to me that at no point has such generosity been so significant for how we celebrate Australia Day”. Carmen Lawrence: Former WA Labor Premier: “The shock and grief we feel at the horror of the hate-filled massacre at Bondi gives us a special cause this Australia day to reflect carefully on who we are and what we value. “We can reaffirm our commitment to peaceful settlement of our disagreements, to equality of all Australians regardless of who they are, to the embrace of generosity and neighbourliness and the repudiation of the politics of fear, hate and rage. “We can encourage our leaders to see that their behaviour signals to the community – for good and for ill - what is valued and what is tolerated. “Australia Day should also be a time to celebrate the original inhabitants of this land and to acknowledge the violent upheaval to their way of life which began with the arrival of the first fleet.” Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC: Former WA Governor and barrister: “In his Australia Day Speech at the 1988 Bicentennial Celebrations, then Prime Minister Bob Hawke spoke eloquently about that it means to be an Australian-above all, a commitment to the values of freedom, justice, tolerance and peace. “Australia Day, he said, should not only be a day on which we celebrate Australia’s many achievements, but a day on which we reflect on the importance of those shared values, and renew our commitment to upholding them. “Those words were endorsed by another Prime Minister, John Howard, who in a later Australia Day speech stressed the important of national unity, of shared beliefs in fairness, equality, tolerance, mateship, and having the courage to stand up for what we believe is right. “Unity is a common theme. “As Churchill said in 1941 “United we stand, divided we fall. Divided, the dark ages return”. “The atrocity at Bondi on 14 December 2025, when two Australian Muslims, inspired by an outlawed terrorist organization, ISIS, murdered 15 Australians and hospitalised over 30 wounded, was the culmination of a hate-filled series of attacks on the safety of person and property of Jewish Australians, from the despicable, outrageous anti-semitic, hate-filled chants of a murderous mob at Sydney Opera House, celebrating the massacres and atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists against Jewish people in Israel on 7 October 2023, followed by a wave of unprecedented attacks and threats against Jewish Australians, caused many Australians to question whether our vision of Australia, united in its values, spoken of by our leaders in the past, had been lost, perhaps forever. “I do not believe that is so. “The many acts of selfless heroism by many Australians, Jewish and non-Jewish- (including the gallant Australian Muslim, Ahmad Al Ahmad) at Bondi that day, the swelling of support for the victims and their families, the rush to volunteer help and donate blood, and the widespread support and pressure for a Royal Commission to address the cause of racial vilification and hate speech, show that most Australians do share the qualities spoken of so proudly by Hawke and Howard. “However, the Bondi atrocity has, I believe, given added significance to the importance of having a day on which to reflect on what it means to be an Australian, to face the harsh reality that those values, and the way of life we cherish, may be under threat, and to consider what must be done to meet that threat. “To fix on a day, Australia Day, for that purpose, is clearly desirable. “But I wonder, and as a Western Australian have long wondered, why choose the anniversary of the day (January 26 1788) that Captain Phillip raised the British flag at Sydney Cove? “That was the beginning of the colony of New South Wales, of course, but it was not until 21 January 1827 that Major Lockyer established the first British settlement in Western Australia, and formally claimed that side of the continent for the British Crown; and it was not until 1st January 1901 that the six separate British colonies of NSW, QLD, TAS, SA, Victoria and WA united (federated) to become an Australian Nation. “That date, 1st January, is surely the most appropriate on which to celebrate Australia Day. And it is, perhaps, a date which will promote unity of all Australian people, including Indigenous Australians, and diminish disunity.” WA Premier Roger Cook: “The terrible events of December 14 in Bondi have changed us all. “This attack on the Jewish community was an attack on all of us. An attack on the freedoms that we, as Australians, sometimes take for granted. “As we heal, Australia Day gives us the opportunity to reflect and focus on the best of our nation, the stories that inspire us, and our shared future that unites us. “On Australia Day, as we welcome new citizens and celebrate the contributions of the most outstanding members of the community, I urge Western Australians to reflect on how we all play a part in building our communities, and ensuring they are safe, inclusive, and welcoming. “We can’t let hate win. “I understand that Australia Day can be difficult for some members of the community and now more than ever, it is important we treat others’ views with respect. That is what inclusivity is all about.” WA Opposition leader Basil Zempilas: “The most recent atrocities should be a reminder to us all, life is too short not to celebrate and enjoy all of the things we have to be thankful for. “Despite our challenges, we should never forget, we live in the best country on the planet and tomorrow is a day to reflect, respect and celebrate what it means to be an Australian. “Hit the beach with the family, attend a Citizenship Ceremony, have a BBQ with friends or head to Langley Park for the City of Perth Australia Day festivities. “This year more than ever, let’s remember to appreciate how lucky we are to call Australia home. “We should never take it for granted.”