The National Australia Day Council (NADC) is a non-profit

social enterprise A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners. Social enterprises ca ...

owned by the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...

and is the national coordinating body for the Australian of the Year awards and

Australia Day Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port ...

. It was established in 1979 and incorporated as a government-owned business in 1990. Australian Natives' Association was one of the chief promoters of Australia Day as a national holiday, and in 1946 formed an Australia Day Celebrations Committee in Melbourne to formalise its efforts. Similar bodies emerged in other states, and a Federal Australia Day Council (FADC) was formed to coordinate their efforts. In 1979, with the FADC's agreement, the organisation was replaced by a government-sponsored National Australia Day Committee. The committee was initially headed by former Olympian

Herb Elliott Herbert James Elliott (born 25 February 1938) is a former Australian athlete and arguably the world's greatest middle distance runner of his era. In August 1958 he set the world record in the mile run, clocking 3:54.5, 2.7 seconds under the re ...

. In 1985, it was renamed the National Australia Day Council, with former tennis player John Newcombe as president. The organisation became an incorporated public company in 1990.

Structure and aims

The NADC heads a network of state and territory Australia Day affiliate organisations and local Australia Day committees and is designed to inspire national pride and spirit, and to enrich the life of all Australians. It aims to promote the meaning of Australia Day through activity, education, reflection, discussion and debate and to promote good citizenship, values and achievement by recognising excellence and service to the nation.

Headquarters

The NADC is housed at

Old Parliament House, Canberra Old Parliament House, formerly known as the Provisional Parliament House, was the seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 after Parliament's relocation from Melbourne to the new capit ...

. The current chair is

Danielle Roche Danielle Roche OAM (born 25 May 1970 in Melbourne, Victoria) is a former field hockey player, who was a member of the Australian Women’s Hockey Team, commonly known as the "Hockeyroos", which won the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympi ...

, and the chief executive officer is Karlie Brand.

Chair of the National Australia Day Council

The following individuals have served as Chair of the National Australia Day Council:

References

External links

Australia Day websiteAustralian of the Year websiteAbout the National Australia Day Council
{{Authority control Commonwealth Government-owned companies of Australia Social enterprises 1990 establishments in Australia Organizations established in 1990