For five full minutes, and synchronised throughout the land, church bells in all of Australia’s cities and major communities pealed on New Year’s Day 2001 to mark the start of the Australian centenary of federation.
The centenary celebrations continued throughout the year, focusing on Sydney on the first day. It was in Sydney after all, in the city’s Centennial Park, that the federation of Australia’s six states was formally forged on January 1, 1901.
Centennial Park rites
In Sydney on January 1, 2001, at the start of the Australian centenary of federation, the commemoration ceremonies began at Centennial Park at 1pm. At Hyde Park in the heart of the city, a free children’s concert started at the same time.
At 3.40pm, planes flew over the city in three waves. At 3.55pm, bells all over the country began to ring.
Grand parade
Heralded by the nationwide ringing of bells, the grand Federation Parade on January 1, 2001, started on Macquarie St, Sydney, at 4pm and wound its way through Hyde Park and Taylor Square, to Lang Rd, Moore Park, near the entrance to Centennial Park at 7pm.
The federation parade, with some 6500 performers, celebrated indigenous culture, multiculturalism, history, the arts, sports and community organisations.
Well-known Australians coming from a broad spectrum of society participated in the Federation Parade.
Centenary speakers
Speakers at the centenary rites at Centennial Park included Governor General William Deane, Prime Minister John Howard and New South Wales Premier Bob Carr.
The 90-minute Centennial Park program included five performance segments: Grounding, Journey to Nationhood, Journeys, New Gondwana, and the Finale.
Giant television screens were set up at Hyde Park, Taylor Square and Moore Park to beam the day’s celebrations to those gathered there.
Free jazz performances entertained crowds at Martin Place from 6pm to midnight.
Throughout the year
Centenary of federation activities were held throughout Australia and throughout the year.
All aspects of Australian society -- and the past, present, and future -- were embraced in the 2001 celebration of Australia's unification on that clear January day, after the storm and the darkness, in 1901.
