Message from the first President National Wattle Day - first day of Spring As the wattle blossoms gold to welcome in the Australian spring, let us celebrate being Australian. We are extremely fortunate and blessed to be who we are and to live on our island continent. Being Australian is, as with everything else, in a constant state of change. There is not a thing that you see, hear or think which is not changing. So let us not think that being Australian means conforming to a rigid set of values, traditions or stereotypes from the past.. To be Australian 250 years ago would have meant being a nomadic Aboriginal; 150 years ago, it may have been a British settler. Today we are a multicultural Australia with some wonderful traditions and systems. What will we be in 50 years time? "Australia's national colours of green and gold are those of the Golden Wattle tree in flower."[1] It is also our national floral emblem. The land seems to have given us the symbol to celebrate being Australian and it is for ALL Australians. Let us therefore celebrate being fortunate enough to have the gold and the beauty that is within us and within our land on National Wattle Day - the first day of Spring. "Wear a sprig of wattle or something green and something gold." I hope that National Wattle Day becomes a celebration for ALL Australians and will lead us in this ever-changing world to aspire and evolve into being better Australians. Jack Fahy
President
(1998 - 2007) [1] Reference: "Australian Symbols", Commonwealth of Australia 2000, ISBN 0 642 471312 Back to About Us | 
