19 January 2017
Twitter Australia, the National Australia Day Council and the National Museum of Australia are encouraging all Australians to share their Australia Day celebrations online, with the launch of an official #AustraliaDay Twitter emoji, unveiled today.
Created especially for Australia Day 2017, the emoji, which features a pair of green and gold thongs, will appear on every #AustraliaDay Tweet from now until 28 January.
Twitter Australia’s Head of Public Policy, Kara Hinesley, said the thongs are an iconic symbol that represents the fun and laid back Aussie spirit.
'It is fantastic to see so many Australians, no matter where they are in the world, using Twitter to share their messages and join in the global conversation to celebrate Australia Day.
'Whatever you’re doing on Australia Day, snap a photo or shoot a video and Tweet it with the hashtag #AustraliaDay to generate the emoji and get your Tweets captured in the Twitter time capsule,' she said.
For the fourth year running, the National Museum of Australia will curate and collect #AustraliaDay Tweets in a Twitter time capsule – a digital snapshot of the diverse ways the day is commemorated.
National Museum of Australia Director, Dr Mathew Trinca described the time capsule as a permanent visual record of our diversity and rich cultural makeup, with more than 100,000 messages selected to be included in the capsule.
'I am delighted to again be partnering with the National Australia Day Council and Twitter in this virtual exhibition on Australia Day. It’s always fascinating to see the extraordinary mix of images representing what Australians get up to on their national day,' said Dr Trinca.
'These Tweets are a snapshot of our national identity – a digital showcase that we can share on the day and preserve for future generations,' said Dr Trinca.
The National Museum of Australia will also curate a live exhibition of #AustraliaDay Tweets, picking the best of the day, which can be viewed online at www.your.australiaday.org.au
National Australia Day Council CEO, Chris Kirby said that it is important to provide platforms and forums where discussions about Australia Day can take place, as the day means something different to everyone.
'Australia Day is a well-entrenched tradition in Australia that is widely engaged with by Australians from all walks of life,' Mr Kirby said.
Mr Kirby hopes that this year’s campaign will surpass the record breaking effort from last year, which saw more than 400,000 Tweets posted using #AustraliaDay – including one from the International Space Station.
'No matter where in the world they may be, it’s a great way for all Australians to share their diverse celebrations and to have their voices heard,' he said.
In 2016, according to Twitter #AustraliaDay made it into the top ten trends of the year with the number of #AustraliaDay mentions increasing dramatically year on year.
To view Tweets and images from previous Australia Days, visit your.australiaday.org.au
For more information about Australia Day events and how to get involved, visit www.australiaday.org.au or contact the Australia Day Committee in your State or Territory.
Media enquiries
Alice Suter: (P) 03 9682 0259; (M) 0413 824 627; alice@think-hq.com.au
Jenna Waite: (P) 03 9682 0259; (M) 0477 173 491; jenna@think-hq.com.au
