Wikipedia. Australia Day.
First fifty years: 1788 to 1838.
Although there was no official recognition of the colony's anniversary,
with New South Wales Almanacks of 1806 and 1808 placing no special
significance on 26 January, by 1808 the date was being used by the
colony's immigrants, especially the emancipated convicts, to "celebrate
their love of the land they lived in" with "drinking and merriment"
The 1808 celebrations followed this pattern, beginning at sundown on
the 25 January, and lasted into the night.
Reminds me of that old fable, Brer Rabbit
Happy Australia Day on Sunday 26th, my fellow convicts .
Turning peaches into patriotic wine .